THE

MILITARY OPERATIONS
AT
CABUL ,
warca mom IN rap
RETREAT AND DESTRUCTION OF THE BRITIBH ARMY,
JANWAUY 1842.
WITH A JOUBNAL OF
IMPRISONMENT IN AFFGHANISTAN.
BY LIEUT. VINCENT EYRE,
BENQAL ABTILLEBT,
U T E DBPUTY COMlLn88ABT OF OBDNANCB AT CABUL.
THIRD EDITION.
LONDON:
JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STBEET.
LONDON :
Printed by A. Smm~rwoo~a,
Nm-Strretlquara.
MAJOR-GENERAL W. 8. WHISH, C.B.
LATE CO?dMANDILNT OF THE BENGAL ARTILLERY,
AS A SLIGHT MARK OF ESTEEM FOR HI8 PUBLIC AND
PRNATE WORTH,
,,-.
AND OF GRATITUDE FOR PAST KIRDIESSE8,
BY
H I 8 S I NCE RE F RI END,
VINCENT EYRE.
NOTICE BY THE EDITOR,
THE original manuscript of this Journal
was sent by Lieutenant Eyre in parts, as
it was finished, and as opportunity offered,
to a military friend in India. Even when
the last part reached his hands, the even-
tual liberation of the Cabul prisoners was
a matter of painful uncertainty ; and his
.
judgment prompted him to transmit it
entire, and without comment, to the Au-
thor's immediate relations in this country.
There is a point connected with its publica-
tion now, which must not be thought to
have been disregarded from any anxiety
that this account should be the first : - it
is, the question whether it should have been
A 3
vi NOTICE BY THE EDITOR.
withheld until the result of the inquiry
now pending in India should be known.
It is considered that sufficient delay has
been already incurred to insure this end,
and that al l such investigations will have
been closed before a copy of this book can
find its way to India. The Journal is
therefore at once printed as it came, in con-
currence with the writer's own idea that it
cannot fail to interest the British public.
E. EYRE.
Athenmm Club,
Dec. 29. 1M2.
PREFACE BY THE AUTHOR,
THE following notes were penned to relieve
the monotony of an AfF'ghan prison, while
yet the events which they record continued
fresh in my memory. I now give them
publicity in the belief that the information
which they contain on the dreadful scenes
lately enacted in Mghanistan; though
clothed in a homely garb, will scarcely fail
to be acceptable to many of my country-
men, both in India and England, who may
be ignorant of the chief particulars. The
time, from the 2d November, 1841, on
which day the sudden popular outbreak at
Cabul took place, to the 13th January,
1842, which witnessed the annihilation of
the last small remnant .of our unhappy
viii PREFACE BY THE AUTHOR.
force at Gundamuk, was one continued
tragedy. The massacre of Sir Alexander
Burnes and his associates, -the loss of our
commissariat fort,-the defeat of our troops
under Brigadier Shelton at Beymaroo, -
the treacherous assassination of Sir William
Macnaghten, our envoy and minister, -
and lastly, the disastrous retreat and utter
destruction* of a force consisting of 5000
fighting men and upwards of 12,000 camp-
followers, - are events which will assuredly
rouse the British Lion from his repose, and
excite an indignant spirit of inquiry in
every breast. Men will not be ~at~isfied, in
this case, with a bare statement of the facts,
* In the late accounts from Gen. Pollock's army at
Cabul, it is stated that the number of uheletons found
on the line of march was very small compared with
the tl~ousands which had been reported and believed
to have perished. But too few have as yet made their
appearance to require that the above statement should
be qualified. The reader who continues to the end
will have little hope that it can ever prove very in-
correct. - EDITOR.
but they will doubtless require to be made
acquainted with the causes which brought
about such awful effects. We have lost
six entire regiments of infantry, three com-
panies of sappers, a troop of European horse
artillery, half the mountain-train battery,
nearly a whole regiment of regular cavalry,
and four squadrons of irregular horse, be-
sides a well-stocked magazine, which alone,
taking into consideration the cost of trans-
port up to Cabul, may be estimated at
nearly a million sterling. From first to
laat, more than 100 British .officers have
f den: their names will be found in the
Appendix. I glance but slightly at the
political events of this period, not having
been one of the initiated; and I do not pre-
tend to enter into minute particulars with
regard to even our military transactions,
more especially those not immediately con-
nected with the sad catastrophe which it
has been my ill-fortune to witness, and
X PREFACE BY THE AUTHOR.
whereof I now endeavour to pourtray the
leading features. In these notes I have
been careful to state only what I know to
be undeniable facts. I have set down
nothing on mere hearsay evidence, nor any
thing which cannot be attested by living
witnesses, or by existing documentary
evidence. In treating of matters which
occurred under my personal observation,
it has been difficult to avoid altogether the
occasional expression of my own individual
opinion: but I hope it will be found that I
have made no observations bearing hard on
men or measures, that are either uncalled
for, or will not stand the test of future
investigation. To Major Pottinger, C.B.,
the well-known hero of Herat, whose sub-
sequent acts have amply sustained the fame
which he there acquired, I am much in-
debted for a great deal of interesting matter
relative to the events at Charekar. To
Captain Colin Mackenzie of the Madras
PREFACE BY THE AUTEOR. Xi
army, political assistant at Peshawur, my
obligations are greater than I can express,
for his most valuable aid in the preparation
of these notes, as well as for his excellent
mount of the attack on Brigadier Anque-
til's fort, and the sad detail of the Envoy's
cruel murder, and the circumstances there-
with connected. To Captain Lawrence,
late military secretary to the Envoy, and to
Captain Troup, late Brigade-Major to the
Shah's force, I am likewise bound to offer
my best acknowledgments for much im-
portant information.
The plan of cantonments and of the sur-
rounding country, Wi g drawn entirely
from memory, requires indulgent criticism ;
but I trust it is sufficiently accurate to give
the reader a tolerably correct idea of the
nature of our position.
CONTENTS.
INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER.
Internal State of Mghanistan in 1841.-The Eastern
CMjyes uneubdued.-Dieaffection in K o h i . - Military
Operations there.-March of Glen. Sale from Cabul en
route for India.-He ie attacked, and h h to fight his Way
to Jetlalabad.-Major Qri5thi1, escorting him with 37th
N. I., the like, in returning to Cabu1.-Our great Foes
Ameenoollah Khan and Abdoolah Khan. - Character of
the Oijyes.- Mistaken Security of our Oovernment. -
Premonitory Symptoms disregarded - Page 3
CHAP. I.
Proceedings of November td. - Outbreak of the Rebellion.
- Murder of Sir A. Burner, Lieut. Burnes, and Lieut.
Broadfoot. -(fen. Elphinstone called upon to act. -
Troops ordered from the Camp. - Sir A. Burnes's fatal
Security and Incredulity. -Attack on Brigadier Anque-
til's Fort. - Murderous Attack on Capt. Lawrence and
on Lieut. Sturt. - Irresolute and inefficient Measures on
our Part. -k. Elphinetone's State of Health, and In-
capacity thereby.-- H~ E Character. - The Envoy's Misap-
preheneion ae to the serious Nature of the Outbreak. -
Our defensive Preparations. -Description of Canton-
ments. - Commissariat Fort. - Camp at Seeah Sung. -
%eat ~a u l t e of our Position - 19
xiv CONTENTS.
CHAP. 11.
Nw. 3d to Nov. 10th. - Return of 37th N. I. from escort-
ing Gen. Sale. - Fighting all the way. - Desultory fight-
ing between Cantonment and Bala EIissar. -Reinforce-
ments sent for fmm Candahar. - Sale recalled. - Murder
of Lieuts. Maule and Wheeler. -Attack on Commiseariat
Fort. - Its inefficient Defence and Abandonment. -
Enemy gain Possession of all our Stores. - Great moral
Effect of this against us. - Indignation and Eagernese of
Troops to retake this Port. - Ill-concerted Measures for
this End, and Failures. - Capture of Mahomed Bh ~ e e f g
Fort- Sundry Skirmishes without Result.-Mackenzie'~
Juzailchees. - Our alarming Destitution aa to Provisions.
--Enemy's Design to starve us out. - The Town cmwn-
aded from Bala Hiesar. - Skirmishing about O m. -
Brigadier Shelton sent for to Cantonment - Page 35
CHAP. 111.
Nm. 10th to 15th. -Troops dispirited. - Attack on Rika-
bashee Fort. - Desperate Conflict. - Gallantry of Bri-
gadier Shelton, Major Scott, and Lieut. Bud. - Col.
Mackerel1 slain. -The Fort taken, and four others. - A
small Supply thus obtained. - Skirmishes at Seeah Sung.
-Action on Western Heights. -Want of Spirit in our
Troops. -Enemy's Guns captured. -Bad Ractice of
our Musketry 5P
CHAP. IV.
Nm. 3d to 15th. - Collateral Events in gohistan. - Trea-
cherous hiurderoPLieut.Rattray at Lughmanee and Attack
OR Major Pottinger's Fort there. -He is reinforced from
eharekar. -Gallantry of Lieut. Haughton - Major P o t
ringer withdraws to Charekar.- Attack on the Poat~
CONTENTS. XV
there. - Major P. wounded. - Captain Codrington slain.
-The Ganison closely invested. - Their Distress. -
- Sorties. - Lieut. Haughton treacherously 'cut down-
They reaolve to retire on CabuL-Dr. Grant's gallent
aad useful Services. - His Disappearance. - The Force
dieorganieed, drops off, and disperses.- Major P. and
Lieut. H. push on for CabuL- Their painful Journey, and
wonderful Escapes.- They reach Cabul. -The Qhoorka
Regiment all cut up - - Page 68
CHAP. V.
Now. 16th to 23d.- Inconvenience of Cantonment. - cold-
setting in. - Question of retiring to Bala Hissar. - Argu-
ments for and against. -Gen. Sale finds Return to C M
impracticable. - Mahomed Khan's Fort. - Its Import
ance. -Annoyance from it. - Discussion, and Show of
taking it, but left in Enemy's Possession. - Envoy's
Communications with Gen. Elphinstone as to Course
to be taken.- Village of Beymaroo. -Its Importance to
us. - Actions there. -No Result. - Mahomed Akber
Khan arrives at Cabul - 89
CHAP. VI.
Nm. 23a -Operations against Beymaroo, mder Briga-
dier Shelton. - Severe Fighting all the Day. -En& in
our Dicomfiture and Retirement with great Loss to Can-
tonments. - Observations on this Day's Errors - 101
CHAP. VII.
Nm. 94th to Dec. l2M. -The Enemy set about destroying
the Bridge. - Nothing done to prevent them. - Ret i re
ment to the Bala Hissar mooted and argued. - The
&pemy offer Terms. - The Generaladvisw Negotiation.-
a '2
X V ~ CONTENTS.
Conference between the Envoy and Chiefs- broken off.
- Other more humiliating Terms offered, and rejected. -
Attempts, by theEnemy,on theBala Hissar and on Maho-
med Shereef s Fort -repulsed. - Enemy fire into Can-
tonments. - Bridge wholly destroyed. -No Steps to save
i t . -Di i ceful Abandonment of Mahomed Shereef s Fort.
- L i e Conduct of the Shah Bazar Oarrison. - Letters
between Envoy and General. - Provisions very short. -
Steps determined on, but nothing done.- Small Supplies
obtained from Bala Hiasar. - Negotiations again opened.
- Conference between Envoy and Chiefs.-Terms pro-
posed, and agreed to - Page 118
CHAP. VIII.
Dec. 12th to 24th. - Su W. Macnaghten and Qen. Elphin-
stone. - Their respective Conduct and Characters. -
Deputation of Chiefs to the Envoy. - Their fiesh Pro-
positions. - Evacuation being agreed on, disorderly
ransacking of the Magazines.-The Bala Hissar evacuated
by our Troops there.- Mahomed Akber's Attempt to
seize it.- Delay of the Chiefs in bringing the'promised
Supplies. -They insist on Evacuation of all the Forts. -
~ h e s e given up. - More Conferences and more Demands
of us. - The Relief fiom Candahar fails. - Preaarations
for Evacuation. -We give Hostages. -Chiefs help them-
selves from Magazine. - Envoy sends his Carriage to Ma-
homed Akber. - New Proposals from him. - Their Pur-
port. -Apology for the Envoy's Conduct in listening to
them. - Conference for carrying them out. -Treacherous
Seizure of the Party. - Murder of the Envoy and Capt.
Trevor. - Other Atrocities - - 142
CHAP. IX.
Fr o m Dec. Zd to Jan. 6th. - Extraordinary Remissness of
Ow people during these Atrocities. -Cowardly DM-
CONTENTS. xvii
tion of the Envoy by the Body (hard. - Suspense in
Cantonment aa to his Fate. - Hie Death certified. -
Major Pottinger takes Political Charge. - Negotiations
renewed. -Council of War. - Mctjor Pottinger proposes
Retreat to Jellalabad. - This rejected. - Treaty then
accepted. -Chiefs demand ~os t ke s . - Sii given.- Sick
and wounded left. - Some guns given up. - Our ;De-
parture postponed From Day to Day. - Appeal of the
King against deserting him.- Observations - Page 180
CHAP. X.
Jan. 6th to Jan. 14th. - Preparations for the March. - Ex-
treme cold, &c. - Order of March. - Confusion. -
Camp-followers. -Delays. - Plunder and burning of
Cantonments. - Attacks on the Force immediately. -
Mahomed Akber's treacherous Delays. - Extreme Suf-
ferings of the Troops in every way. - Mahomed Akber
takes more Hostages -and the Ladies, &c. - Retreat
continues from Jan. 6th to 13th, and ends in Annihilation
of the Force - 195
ROUGH NOTES DURING IMPRISONMENT I N AFF-
OHANISTAN - - 235
APPENDIX :
L i t of Civil and Military O!Ecere killed during the Re .
bellion at and near Cabul - - 321
GLOSSARY,
The following LIST OF WORDS wed in this volume, with
their meaning, may be useful to the English reader.*
Akukzye, or Atchdzye, the name of one of the great mh a n
tribes.
A m , commander or chief; title assumed by Dost l l dnhod
KhPn.
Atta, ground wheat.
w, a mime.
Bak Hiimw, royal citadel, upper citadel.
B&ye, name of one of the five great Dtkhi or Doomnee
tribes.
Bowge, tower.
BYniolr, a trader, generally in grain.
Ca$fa, a convoy.
Clror Chouk, public bazar. Chahha, or char, means house, the
bazar being introduced at right angles in the centre.
Chouk, bazar.
Chupmsie, a servant bearing a badge or brass plate.
C ' h ~ ~ ~ a o , a night surprise. or plundering attack.
C d , a rnenger.
D&uhee. Query whether this is an Indian or U u l term.
BashC means principal, as Bf i l a BashC, the principal of the
convoy, &c.
Dewan Kaneh, hall of audience.
&oh&, palanquin for carrying sick.
The Editor, having compiled this in haste from the inform-
ation of Indian friends, begs that inaccuracies may be excused.
and invites prrectiong to be addressed to him at the publisher's.
Domanee, name of five great tribes, t he Popul-cai, B d 4
NGr-zai, Bgrmi-zai, and Abkhu-zai.
Enaofiyes, an Affghan tribe holding the
norrh of
Peshiwur.
Phnghee, European.
Ghazee, champion of religion.
Giljye, name of a great Affghan tribe.
Godourn, storehouse.
Goorkha, a native of N6pkl.
Ha&r, a sergeant.
Hazirbash nleans " Be present."
Hurwah (uncertain).
Janbaz, AfFghan horse.
Jeergha, council.
~e&ndar, a native officer.
Juzail, long d e .
J d c h e e , rifleman.
Ka@, infidel.
Khan, nobleman : the title in a b u l is assumed by every one,
even the lowest.
Xwkke, a wicket, window.
Xujawur, a pannier carried on camels.
K d a s h , descendant of the Persians, wearing a red cap.
Lascar, Indian term, an attendant on guns, magazines, &c.
Maund (of grain), 80Ib. weight.
Me-, an appellation generally given to Mahomedan writers.
Meer Wyze (The) means a teacher ; generdy conferred on
some one eminent for sanctity.
Mehrmandar, a man of all work ; one who hae charge of re-
ceiving guests, visitors, &c.
1Moohh, priest.
M m k e , interpreter or secretary.
Muijeed, a temple, place of worship.
N d , deputy.
Nd e e , a sort of palanquin.
Nnzir, steward.
Neencha, coat.
XX GLOSSARY.
Nuwrrb, prince.
PilrSo, a dish of fowl with rice, &c.
Portheen, a sheepskin cloak.
Rajah, prince, an Indian term.
Rerrala, a troop.
&poy, soldier, an Indian term ; always native soldier.
Shah bagh, king's gtudeo.
Shroj, a native banker.
Sirdar, a chief.
Subsdoon, or Shd-khoon (the proper term), night surprise.
Sunga, stone breastwork.
S U M , a man who takes care of camels.
Syud, a priest.
Wuzeer, vizier.
Yaboo, Mghan pony.
Zuna, dwelling; (Kuneh) private dwelling.
JOURNAL
01
IMPRISONMENT IN AFFGHANISTAN.
LI EUT. VI NCENT EYRE,
BENO& AETILLERY ;
LATE DEPUTY COHXISSARY OP ORDNANCE AT CABUL
LONDON:
JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET.
1843.
DIRECTIONS
roa
BINDDIG LIEUT. EYRE'S BFFGHAN JOURNAL,
EDITION let, 2d, or Sd
The Binder will cancel from page 313. inclusive, in t k
original Volume, to the End, and then add this SUP-
PmenTaBY PAET, of which the first page is num-
bered 313. He may also cancel the Jc Editor's -'
at page 237.
ERRATA IN THE FIRST EDITION.
Page xx., for " Synd" read '' Syud," a priest.
209., line 15., for a semicolon substitute a full stop &r
Lieat S t George, 37th N. I.
line 17., for a full stop substitute a comma &r
'< force!'
213., note, for 66 Brigadier-Major" read ' & Brigade-Major."
317. Add to the lid of prisoners released the following
names : -
Capt. Johnson.
Mrs. Trevor, 8 children.
Capt Anderson.
Mrs. Anderson, 3 children.
Capt Troup.
Capt Bygrave.
Dr. Campbell.
Sb., note, for ,I pp. 95. 97." read " pp. 216. 220.
NOTICE BY THE EDITOR.
THE manuscript of the following pages, forming
the conclusion of Lieut. Eyre's Journal, reached
me only a short time since, having been lost
-irretrievably as he thought - from his pocket,
on the march towards India. It is issued in the
present ahape, as most considerate towards the
purchasers of the original volume; who, by re-
moving the last eight pages-from 313 to 319
inclusive-and substituting this Supplement, may
have their book complete.
The communication by Capt. Mackenzie (re-
ferred to in pp. 25. and &.), will now be found
in the Appendix); to which I have also added
Lieut. Crawford's account of the imprisonment
of himself and his brother-officers at Ghuz-
nee. They were eventually transferred to Ma-
homed Akber, and released with the prisoners
of Cabul. I should have hesitated thus to ap-
propriate what is so deserving of separate pub-
lication, but that, as i t has appeared in an Indian
paper, it seems not to have been destined for an-
A 3
vi NOTICE BY THE EDITOR
other shape ; in which case, its adoption here may
afford many friends of those officers a gratification,
which they might not otherwise obtain.
The other additions to the Appendix, and the
few notes, are such only as have been considered
strictly illustrative of the Journal. They might
even have been usefully increased, but for an un-
willingness to swell the work with matter not
original. Among these the despatch of Major-
Gen. Elphinstone, and some extracts from a me-
morandum of that officer, deserve attention.
The interest attached to the events, which are
the subject of this narrative, has drawn to i t
much attention, and, of course, some ckiticism.
The author has, on the whole, very much to
gratify him in the result of such an ordeal: but
there have been a few qualifications of the ge-
neral praise, which, with this opportunity, should
perhaps be noticed.
On the question which has arisen, whether the
particulars narrated have been allowed publicity
too soon, there may be a fair difference of opinion.
For this, as has been before stated, the author is
not strictly answerable: but I may be allowed
also to say that I consulted, and had the sanction
of high military judgment on the point; and I
knew besides that the MS. had, in transitu,
been seen by individuals of professional discretion
NOTICE BY THE EDITOR. Vi i
and experience, none of whom suggested that i t
should be, even for a time, withheld. The only
doubt I ever entertained had respect to its publi-
cation in India, pending '' the Inquiry." This,
however, was to open soon after Christmas, at
Perozepore, whither no copy of the book can
arrive before the middle of April. The danger,
then, of prejudicing the Inquiry" is but small.
'' But," say a few, " is i t nothing to prejudice
the minds of those at home ? The minds of those
a t home had been, in reality, prejudiced, as much
as could be done, many months ago. Every one
at all interested in these events was possessed of the
outline, which Mr. Eyre's history fills up ; and both
the responsible personages and their acts had been
long since dealt with by those at home, in an undk-
criminating spirit of condemnation, which his work
tends rather to correct. An erroneous analogy,
as I think, is resorted to, when " those at home"
are likened to a court or a jury, or the author to
" a j u yman prematurely delivering his verdict."
He cannot be more than a witness; and those at
home will carefully compare his testimony with
that of others, and with the issue.
If he be
correct, no one is injured; if not, i t can only
recoil upon himself; but to state at any time what
he knows, though he may have to give i t after-
wards in evidence, is no offence in a witness,
viii NOTICE BY THE EDITOR.
either morally or judicially ; while to suppose of
the real court and jury, who must investigate
the disasters of Cabul, looking at the constitution
of such a court, that their decision could be
influenced by this history, is quite impossible.
I t is, however, very satisfactory to those who
have given it to the world, to see how every day
proves more and more, as the real truth creeps
out, that, had not Lieut. Eyre been restrained
by a spirit admitted by a distinguished reviewer
to be, " under the circumstances, indeed extraor-
dinary," he might have revealed much more,
which he has had the good taste and feeling to
withhold.* I t is further satisfactory to see al-
ready so many of his statements confirmed, as
are so, both by the Papers just presented to
Parliament, and from private sources; among
these may be particularised the Journal of the
Retreat, by Capt. Johnson, another of the pri-
soners, which has appeared in the Bombay Times.
I should, too, in justice to my brother, state that,
on finding that his MS. had been sent to me, he
hastened to request that, as i t had been written
under every sort of disadvantage," I would not
hesitate to omit any passage which might by
possibility give pain to others. This letter arrived
* See particularly a letter from Ferozepore, in the N. &
M. Gazette of 18th inst.
NOTICE BY THE EDITOR. k
too late for the first edition ; but, though 1 had
myself kept this in view, i t was quite impracticable
to omit all that any part y might wish omitted;
nor would i t have been fair, either to the public
or the author, so to mutilate a work of so much
historic interest. In scenes too, in which all
the actors cannot be blameless, blame will often
appear to be imputed by the most meagre recital
of what was done or left undone; and so the
case is here ; the bare facts are the severest part
of all ; but they are such facts as, with the public
characters whom they implicate, have ever been
the legitimate subjects both of history and cri-
ticism; and the idea, that silence for any time
was incumbent on any actor in them, is as uew
to me, as the circumstances are, happily, new and
unprecedented in British annals.
One apology, which is found for Lieut. Eyre's
"partiality and prejudice," his fri enh must
needs deny him -the suggestion that he writes
under the influence of "frustrated hopes and
blighted prospects." These terms in no way
apply to him. He is in the same service as
before ; and nothing that occurred at Cabul can
have diminished, at any rate, his professional
hopes and prospects.
I n the brief remarks which I have to add, I
shall conhe myself to the few instances in which
Lieut. Eve' s veracity, or com'stency, is d e d
in question. The following critique appeara to
me unfair.* " Asserting his correctness, the
author tells us- ' I n these hotes I have been
careful to state only what I h o w to be unde-
niable facts. I have set down nothing on me?%
hearsay evidence, nor any thing which cannot be
attested by living witnesses, or by eltisting docu-
mentary evidence.' Yet, in the face of thia
declaration, he acknowledges hearsay evidence
(certainly of eminent men), from Major Pottinger,
Capts. Mackenzie, Lawrence, and Troup ; and,
after his departure from the retreating army as a
prisoner, describes all the motions and casualties
of the force with as much minuteness, as if he had
continued to be an eye-witness." This is surely
an unusual apprehension of what is mere hearsay
evidence --information, which he acknowledges
as " valuable aid," given by some of the living
witnesses," expressly for historical purposes.
Again ;-among these living witnesses were some,
his fellow prisoners, captured towards the end of
the retreat, Major GriEths, Capts. Johnson and
Bygrave, &c. - How can particulars supplied by
them be termed " mere hearsay evidence"?
On one other point the author's consistency
* Literary Gazette.
NoTIam BY THE EDITOR. xi
bas been impugsed, with no more reason, aq 1
hwhl y think. -- Discrediting the existence of a
mnopiracy throughout Affighanistan and at Cabul
agsinst the Britiqh, the Edinburgh Review con-
siders that Mr. Eyre on this point contradicts
Ahe l f . Now, first, as to the conspiracy : - the
reviewer does not account in any other way for
&e ~hdt aneous risings against, and massacres of,
our men and officers in widely distant provinces.
At Cabul, Charekar, tind Ghuznee, no two of
wfiieh are less than 90 nailes from each other, the
fia~ne burvt forth at the same time ; and, on the
%I of November, Sir A. Burnes was murdered,
the Gh o d a regiment assailed, and shortly anni.
hilated, Capt. Woodburn and his escort cut off,
4 Ghuanee surrounded, The reviewer doee
not dispose of the warnings of Major Pottinger,
nor attempt to get over that of Taj-Mahorned,
nor notice (he may not have seen it) the con-
current testimony of Mohun Lall.9 This
individual, to whom we owe SQ much, says,
" Tn Qctober last, the chiefs entered into the so-
lemn agseemeot with each other, and thus the
Eastern Giljyes stood up against QU. arms." But
Ae also agrees with Lieutenant Eyre, in saying
that the outbreak at Cabul commmed by an 8~
* See his letter, App. 6.
xii NOTICE BY THE EDITOR.
tack of an insignificant force on Sir A. Burnes's
house ; commenced, not originated. " Yet," ob-
serves Mohun Lall, " not a battalion was sent to
our protection."-Mi. Eyre terms the same com-
mencement "an insignificant ebullition, which mi-
litary energy and promptitude ought to have
crushed in the bud ;"-that is to say,-the train
being laid, a v a r k set fire to it, which spark might
and ought to have been trodden upon at once.
These statements are surely reconcilable.- Ano-
ther alleged inconsistency is the following : 'c I n
the whole Affghan nation," i t is said in one place,
" we could not reckon on a single friend ;" in
another place, that some chiefs, especially the
Kuzzilbashes, remained neutral, until our want
of energy, and the booty of the commissariat fort,
determined them to join in the general combina-
tion to drive us from the country." This," ob-
serves the reviewer, " proves that the other pas-
sage is idle talk ; we had friends in plenty." Now
the fiiendship of these friends is, thus illustrated
by Mohun La11 : - " Notwithstanding the Giljye,
Caboolee, Kohistanee, and the Persian (Kuzzil-
bash) chiefs made solemn oaths with us, - wrote
the agreement on the Holy Koran to take our
cause, - received abundant money from us, - but
every body cheated us like devils. Khan Shereen,
the Persian chief, promised to give every assist-
NOTICE BY THE EDITOR^ xiii
ance, which he never did," &c. These Kuzzil-
bashes, then, were scarcely friends who could be
reckoned on ; " - they may have been the best,
and better than Izone, in our distress : but, both
in our reverses and our late prosperity, they have
verzed the poet's comment on the friendship of
the world : -
" Donec eris felix, multos numerabis amicos;
Tempora si fuerint nubila, solus eris."
Lieut. Eyre is consistent enough, but he does not
mean Afghan friendship.
Having attempted in these few observations to
show that he has not been either inconsiderate or
inconsistent, I have lastly to admit that on two or
three points he must have been misinformed.
They personally concern a distinguished indivi-
dual, who himself liberally allows that such slight
inaccuracies are quite reconcilable with a " desire
to state the truth, and nothing but the truth." *
The reader will please to receive the following,
.stated from, of course, the only satisfactory autho-
rity, to be the more strictlycorrect version on the
points referred to : -
" P. 5. As to the alleged neglect to send a mi-
* A note to this effect wm hastily annexed to the Zd nnd
3d Editions. It is now repeated here, to insure more general
circulation.
a
xiv- NOTICE BY THE EDITOR.
litary force against the Nijrow chiefs, Lord
Auckhncl had nothing to do with it. The Envoy
pressed this measure upon Major-Gen. Elphin-
stone ; but he, for prudential reasons, partly on
account of the advanced season of the year, ob-
jected to this employment of the troops."
" P. 16. As to the reduction of the payments
to the Giljye chiefs.-This measure did not ori-
ginate with Lord Auckland, but was one ' to
which the narrowness of the king's finances led
him, under Sir William Macnagl~ten's advice, to
have recourse.'* Lord Auckland was not aware
of it, until after the outbreak at Cabul. Sir
William Macnaghten sayst, ' the necessities of
his Majesty, and the frequent prohibitions I have
received against further reliance on the resources
of the British government, appeared to admit of
no alternative."'
" P. 48. This passage relates to the supposed
delay in accepting the resignation by Major-
Gen. Elphinstone of his command. I t was, in
fact, accepted by Lord Auckland as soon as it
was sent in officially. The poor General did,
however, indisputably wish to resign before ; but
seems to have had doubts whether he could do
* Parl. Pap. on Affghanistan. No. 1.
-t Ibid. So. 2.
NOTICE BY THE EDITOR. X V
so without discredit. The inaccuracy in the text
on such a point might easily have originated, and
most probably did, in some equivocal expressions
of his own."
E. EYRE.
Athenaeum Club,
1st March 1843.
OPERATIONS
OP
THE BRI T I S H ARMY
AT
CABU La
NOTES OF OPERATIONS,
INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER.
INTERNAL BTATB OF APPOHANISTAN IN 1841. - DIR-
AFFECTION -ESPECIALLY IN KOHISTAN, AND MILITARY
OPEBATIONR THERE. -MARCH OP GENERAL BALE FOR
JELLALABAD, WHO ans TO FIGHT HIB WAY. - EARLIER
PREMONITORY SYMPTOMS OP DIBTURBANCE.
WHEN Major-Gen. Elphinstone assumed the com-
mand of the troops in Affghanistan in April, 1841,
the country enjoyed a state of apparent tran-
quillity to which i t had for many years been a
stranger. This remark applies more particularly
to those provinces which lie north-east of Ghuz-
nee, comprehending Cabul proper, Kohistan,
Jellalabad, and the neighbouring districts. The
Giljye tribes, occupying a large portion of the
country between Ghuznee and Candahar, had
never been properly subdued, and the permanent
occupation of Khelat-i-Giljye by our troops had
so alarmed their jealous love of independence, as
B 2
4 PARTIAL DISTURBANCES. [INTROD.
to cause, during the months of July and August,
a partial rising of the tribes, which, however, the
valour of our Hindoostanee troops, under Colonel
Wymer, at Huft-aseer, and of the 5th Bengal
Cavalry under Col. Chambers at Mookoor,
speedily suppressed. Some of the principal chiefs
delivered themselves up as hostages, and quiet
was restored. To the west of Candahar, a no-
torious freebooter, named Akter Khan, having
collected about 7000 followers, horse and foot,
was signally defeated near Girhisk, on the banks
of the Heermund, in the month of Jul j , by a
detachment of the Shah's regular troops under
Capt. Woodburn, consisting of only one infantry
regiment, two H. A. guns, under Lieut. Cooper,
besides two regiments of Janbaz, or Affghan horse:
the latter, however, behaved ill, and can hardly be
said to have shared in the glory of the unequal
conflict. Capt. Griffin, with the Bengal 2d Natire
Infantry, was, a few days after, equally successful
in an attack on the enemy in the same quarter.
Akter Khan fled to the hills with a few followers,
*d the land again enjoyed repose. Kohistrm,
whose wild and turbulent chiefs had sturdily
maintained their independence against the late
Dost Mahommed Khan, seemed at last to
have settled down into a state of quiet, though
subjection to Shah Shoojah. The Nij-
LNTROD.] THE NIJROW CHIEFS. 5
row chiefs formed an almost solitary exception to
this show of outward submission; and Sir William
Macnaghten had strongly urged upon Lord Auck-.
land, at an earlyperiod of the year, the expediency
of sending a force into that country as soon as
practicable. Since our &st occupation of Cabul,
I
Nijrow had become a resort for all such restless
and discontented characters as had rendered them-
selves obnoxious to the existing government.
The fact of our having permitted them so long to
brave us with impunity, had doubtless beeti re-
garded by the secret enemies of the new rule as
a mark of conscious weakness, and may have
encouraged thenl, in no slight degree, to hatch
those treasonable designs against the state which
were so suddenly developed in November, 1841,
and which were for the time, unhappily, but too
successful.*
Major Pottinger, having been appointed political
agent in Kohistan, arrived from Calcutta in May,
1841, and was one of the first to prognosticate
the coming storm. He lost no time i n represent-
ing to the Envoy the insufiiciency of our military
force in Kohistan,consisting at that time of merely
.
two 6-pounder guns, and the Kohistanee regi-
ment raised by Lieut. Maule of the Bengal Ar-
* The reader is particularly referred to a note at the end
of the book.
8 3
tillery ; which excellent young officer was, on the
first outbreak of the rebellion, cruelly butchered
by his own men, or, which is the same thing, with
their consent. This regiment was stationed at
Charekar, a post of no strength, and ill adapted
for making a protracted defence, as was afterwards
proved. The Major was, however, considered hl
the light of.an alarmist, and he only succeeded in
procuring a few Hazirbash horsemen and a 17-
pounder gun, with a small detachment of the
Shah's artillery, and a very scanty supply of am-
munition.
About the end of September, Major Pottinger
came to Cabul for the purpose of impressing on
the Envoy that, unless strong measures of pre-
vention were speedily adopted, he considered a
rise in KoEstan as in the highest degree probable.
His apprehensions were considered by the Envoy
as not altogether unfounded, and he was em-
powered to retain as hostages the sons of the
leading chiefs, whose fidelity he suspected. The
first interruption to the state of outward tran-
quillity, which I have described above, occurred
early in September. Capt. Hay, in command of
some Hazirbashes, and Lieut. Maule, with his
Kohistanee regiment, (which had been relieved at
Charekar by the Goorkah, or 4th regiment, the
Shah's subsidized force oflicered from the line,
under Capt. Codrington,) and two &pounder guns,
had been sent into the Zoormut valley to collect
the annual revenue, with orders likewise to make
an attempt to seize certain noted plunderers,
among whom were some of the murderers of Col.
Herring, who had long infested the road betwee11
Ghuanee and Cabul. The revenue was .in the
course of being quietly paid, when Capt. Hay was
mischievously informed by Moollah Momin, col-
lector of revenue in Zoormut (who shortly after
distinguished himself as one of our bitterest foes),
that the men, whom he wished to seize, were har-
boured in a certain neighbouringfort of no strengtl~
whatever, and that the inhabitants would doubt-
less give them up rather than risk a rupture with
the government. Capt. Hay immediately pro-
ceeded thither, but found the place much stranger
than he had been led to expect, and the people
obstinatel? prepared to resist his demands. 0 1 1
approaching the fort, he was fired up011 ; and
finding the six-pounder shot, of which he gave tr
few rounds in return, made no impression on the
mud walls, he had no'alternative but to retreat.
The Envoy, on receiving Capt. Hay's re-
port, immediately despatched a s dc i e nt force to
punish the rebels. I t consisted of 200 of H. M.
44th Inf., 5th N. I., 6th regt. S. S. F., 4 guns of
Abbot's battery, 2 iron nine-pounders mountain
B 4
8 DEFEAT OF THE REBELS. [ m ~ m ~
train, 9 comp. shah's Sappers, and 2 squadrons
of Anderson's horse. These were under the
command of Lieut.-Col. Oliver, and were ac-
companied by Capt. G. H. Macgregor, the poE-
tical agent at Gundamuck, who happened to
be then at Cabul on business. The force com-
menced its march on the 27th September, and
reached the Zoormut valley without the slightest
interruption. On the approach of our troops the
rebels had fled to the hills in the greatest con-
sternation, leaving their forts at our mercy. The
principal strongholds were destroyed with powder,
and the force prepared to return to Cabul.
Meanwhile the hydra of rebellion had reared
its head in another far more formidable quarter.
Early in October three Giljye chiefs of note sud-
denly quitted Cabul, after plundering a rich
Cafila at Tezeen, and took up a strong positios
in the difficult defile of Khoord-Cabul, about teq
miles from the capital, thus blocking up the pass,
\ and cutting off our communication with Hindo-
stan. Intelligence had not very long previously
been received that Mahomed Akber Khan, se-
cond son of the ex-ruler Dost Mahomed Wan,
had arrived at Bameean from Wooloom for the
supposed purpose of carrying on intrigues against
the government. I t is remarkable that he is
nearly connected by marriage with Mahomed
INTROD.] MAHOMED AKBER KHAN. 9
Shah Khan and Dost Mahomed Khan *, also
Giljyes, who almost immediately joined the
above-mentioned chiefs. Mahomed Akber had,
since the deposition of his father, never ceased to
foster feelings of intense hatred towards the En-
glish nation; and, though often urged by the
fallen ruler to deliver himself up, had resolutely
preferred the life of a houseless exile to oue of
mean dependence on the bounty of his enemies.
I t seems therefore in the highest degree probable
that this hostile movement on the part of the
Eastern Giljyes was the result of his influence
over them, combined with other causes which
will be hereafter mentioned. The march of Gen.
Sale's brigade to their winter quarters at Jellala-
bad, and ultimately to India, had only been de-
ferred until the return of the force from Zoormut,
but was now hastened in consequence of this un-
welcome news. On the 9th October the 35th
regt. N. I. under Col. Monteath, C.B., 100 of the
Shah's Sappers under Capt. G. Broadfoot, a
squadron of the 5th cavalry under Capt. Oldfield,
and 2 guns of Capt. Abbott's battery uuder
Lieut. Dawes, were sent on in advance to the
entrance of the pass at Bootkhak, where, on the
following night, it was attacked by a large num-
hie chief must not be confounded with the ex-ruler of
the enme name.
B 5
10 GENERAL SALE'S MARCH. [=BOD.
ber of rebels, who, taking advantage of the high
gound and deep ravines in the neighbourhood of
the c mp, maintained a sharp fire upon it for
several hours, by which 35 Sepoys were killed
and wounded.
On the morning of the 11 th Gen. Sale marched
from Cabul with H. M. 23th Lt. Inf. to join the
camp at Bootkhak, and on the following morniug
the whole proceeded to force the pass. Intelli-
gence had been received that the enemy, besides
occupying the heights of this truly formidable
defile, which in many places approach to within
fifty yards of each other, rising up almost per-
pendicularly to an elevation of 500 or 600 feet,
had erected a simga, or stone breastwork, in the
narrowest part of the gorge, flanked by a strong
tower. The advance guard, consisting of the
Shah's Sappers, a company of H. M. 13th foot,
another of the 35th N. T., and 2 guns under
Lieut. Dawes, was met about midway through
the pas, which is nearly five miles long, by a
sharp and continued discharge of juzails from the
strong Posts of the enemy. This was returned by
our men with precision and effect, notwithstanding
the disadvantages of their situation ; flanking
parties gallalltly struggled up the height to dis-
lodge the enemy from thence, while the Sappers
rushed On to destroy the above-mentioned breast-
INTBOD.] HE FIGHTS iiIS WAY. 11
work : through this, however, the. stream which
flows down the middle of the defile had already
forced a passage; and, as the enemy abandoned it,
as well as the flanking tower, on the approach of
our troops, Lieut. Dawes passed his guns through
the interval at full speed, getting them under the
shelter of a rock beyond the sustained and mur-
derous fire of the enemy's juzailchees, it being
impossible to elevate the guns sufficiently to bear
upon them. The flankers did their duty nobly,
and the fight had lasted for about half an hour,
during which the conduct of the Shah's Sappers
under Capt. Broadfoot was creditable in the
highest degree, when the approach of the main
column under Gen. Sale, who had been already
shot through the leg, enabled capt.Seaton of the
35th regiment, who commanded the advance
guard,. to push on. This he did, running the
gauntlet to the end of the pass, by which time
the enemy, fearful of being taken in rear, aban-
doned their position, and retired towards Kubbur-
i-Jubbar, on the road to Tszeen. The 35th re-
giment, Shah's Sappers, Lieut. Dawes's guns,
and a party of Hazirbash under Capt. Trevor,
encamped at Khoord-Cabul, H. M.'s 13th Lt. Inf.
returning to Bootkhak. During their return,
parties who still lurked among the rocks fired
upon the column, thereby doing some mischief.
B 6
I n these positions the divided force remained
encamped for several days, awaiting the return to
Cabul of the troops from Zoormut. During this
time several shub-khoons, or night attacks, were
made on the two camps, that on the 35th regi-
ment at Khoord-Cabul being peculiarly disas-
trow from the treachery of the Affghan horse, who
admitted the enemy within their iioes, by which
our troops were exposed to a fire from the least
suspected quarter : many of our gallant Sepoys
and Lieut. Jenkins thus met their death.
On the 20th October, Gen. Sale moved with
his force to Khoord-Cabul, having been pre-
viously joined by the 37th regiment under Major
Griffiths, Capt. Abbot's guns, the mountain train
under Capt. Backhouse, 100 of Anderson's irre-
gular horse under Lieut. Mayne, and the re-
mainder of the Shah's sappers and miners. About
the RRd the whole force there assembled, with
Capt. Macgregor, political agent, marched to
'J'ezeen, encountering much determined opposi-
tion on the road.
By this time it was too evident that the whole
of the Eastern Giljyes had risen in one common
league against us. Their governor, or viceroy,
Humza Khan, had in the interval gone forth
under pretence of bringing back the chiefs to their
allegiance; on his return, however, which took
INTROD.] OTHER WARNINGS. 13
place nearly at the time at which Gen. Sale
marched from Khoord-Cabul, the treacherous
nature of his proceedings had been discovered,
and he was placed by the Shah in confinement:
he was suspected, indeed, before. Gen. Sale
remained at Tezeen until the 26th October.
I t must be remarked that, for some time pre-
vious to these overt acts of rebellion, the always
strong and ill-repressed personal dislike of the
Affghans towards Europeans had been manifested
in a more than usually open manner in and about
Cabul. Officers had been insulted and attempts
made to assassinate them. Two Europeans had
been murdered, as also several camp followers;
but these and other signs of the approaching
storm. had unfortunately been passed over as
mere ebullitions of private angry feeling. This
incredulity and apathy is the more to be lamented,
as it was pretty well known that on the occasion
of the shub-khoon, or first night attack on the
35th N. I. at Bootkhak, a large portion of our
assailants consisted of the armed retainers of
the different men of collsequence in Cabul itself,
large parties of whom had been seen proceeding
from the city to the scene of action on the even-
ing of the attack, and afterwards returning.
Although these men had to pass either through
the heart or round the skirts of our camp at
Seeah Sung, it was not deemed expedient even
to question them, far less to detain them.
On the 26th October, Gen. Sale started in the
direction of Gundamuck, Capt. Macgregor, poli-
tical agent, having, during the halt at Tezeen,
half frightened half cajoled the refractory Giljye
chiefs into what the sequel proved to have been
a most hollow truce ; for the term treaty can
scarcely be applied to any agreement made with
men so proverbially treacherous, as the whole race
of Mghans have proved themselves to be, from our
first knowledge of their existence up to the present
moment. Of the dificulties experienced by Gen.
Sale during his march to Gundamuck, and of the
necessity which induced him subsequently to push
on to Jellalabad, the public are aware. On the
day of his departure from Tezeen the 37th
N. I., 3 compailies of the Shah's sappers, under
Capt. Walsh, and 3 guns of the mountain
train, under Lieut. Green, retraced their steps
towards Cabul, and encamped at Kubbur-i-Jub-
bar, to wait as an escort to the sick and conva-
lescent. The sappers continued their march
back to Cabul unopposed; the rest remained
here unmolested until the 1st November, when
they broke ground for Khoord-Cabul. Here, in
the afternoon of the ad, Major Griffiths, who
commanded the detachment, received a peremp-
INTBOD.] LEADERS OF THE REBELLION. 15
t o y order from Gen. Elphinstone to force his
way without loss of time to Cabul, where the
insurrection had already broken out in all its
violence. While striking his camp he was
attacked by the mountaineers, who now began to
assemble on the neighbouring heights in great
numbers; and his march through the pass from
Bootkhak to Cabul was one continued conflict,
nothing saving him from heavy loss but the steadi-
ness and gallantry of his troops, and the excellence
of his own dispositions. He arrived in canton-
ments before daybreak on the morning of the 3d
November.
The two great leaders of the rebellion were
Ameenoollah Khan, the chief of Logue, and Ab-
doollah Khan, Achukzye, a chief of great influence,
and possessing a large portion of the Pisheen
valley.
Ameenoollah Khan had hitherto been consi-
dered one of the staunchest friends of the existing
government ; and such was the confidence placed
in him by the wuzeer, that he had selected him
to take charge of Humza Khan, the lately super-
seded governor of the Giljyes, as a prisoner to
Ghuznee. This man now distinguished himself
as one of our most inveterate enemies. To illus-
trate the character of his coadjutor, Abdoollah
Khan i t will be sufficient to relate the following
16 ORIGIN OF THE [INTROD.
anecdote. I n order to get rid of his elder brother,
who stood between him and the inheritance, he
caused him to be seized and buried up to the
chin in the earth. A rope was then fastened
round his neck, and to the end of it was haltered
a wild horse : the animal was then driven round
in a circle, until the unhappy victim's head was
twisted from his shoulders. This same man is
also mentioned in terms of just abhorrence by
Capt. A. Conolly in his Travels.
But though the two above-naked chiefs took
a leading part in the rebellion, there can be little
doubt that it had its origin in the deep offence
given to the Giljyes by the ill-advised reduction
of their annual stipends - a measure which had
been forced upon Sir William Macnaghten by
Lord Auckland.* This they considered, and with
some show of justice, as a breach of faith on
the part of our government: at all events, that
was surely mistaken economy which raised into
hostility men, whose determined spirit under a
sense of wrong the followilig anecdote may illus-
trate. When oppressed by Nadir Shah, the
Giljye tribes, rather than succumb ta the tyrant's
will, took refuge in the mountains amidst the
snow, where with their families they fed for
+ The editor invites particular attention to a note on this
sul~ject at the end.
months on roots alone: of these they sent a
handful to Nadir, with the message, that, so long
as such roots could be procured, they would con-
tinue to resist his tyranny. Such were many
of the men now leagued together by one common
feeling of hatred against us.
A passage occurring in a posthumous memo-
randum by the Envoy, now in Lady Macnaghten's
possession, requires insertion here : -
" The immediate cause of the outbreak in the
capital was a seditious letter addressed by Ab-
doollah Khan to several chiefs of influence at
Cabul, stating that i t was the design of the Envoy
to seize and send them all to London ! The
principal rebels met on the previous night, ai d,
relying on the inflammable feelings of the people
of Cabul, they pretended that the king had issued
an order to put all infidels to death ; having pre-
viously forged an order from him for our destruc-
tion, by the common process of washing out the
contents of a genuine paper, with the exception
of the seal, and substituting their own wicked
inventions."
Such at least is the generally received version
of the story, though persons are not wanting who
would rashly pronounce the king guilty of the
design imputed to him.
But, however that may be, it is certain that
18, SIR WILLIAM MAcNAGHTEN. [INTROD.
the events, which I have already narrated, ought
to have been enough to arouse the authorities
&om their blind security. I t ought, however,
to be stated that, alarmed by certain symptoms of
disaffection in different parts of the county, and
conscious of the inadequacy of the means he then
possessed to quell any determined and general
insurrection, Sir William had, a few months pre-
viously, required the presence' of several more
regiments: he was however induced to cancel this
wise precautionary measure. But, even had this
additional force arrived, i t is next to certain that
the loss of British honour, subsquently sustained,
could only have been deferred for a period. A
fearfully severe lesson was necessary to remove the
veil from the eyes of those, who, drawing their
conclusions fiom their wishes, would consider Aff-
ghanistan as a settled country. I t is but justice
to Sir William Macnaghten to say that such re-
commendations from him as were incompatible
with the retrenching system were not received a t
head-quarters in a way encouraging to him as a
public officer.
CHAPTER I.
OUTBREAK OP THE REBELLION. - HURDER OF BIR
ALEXANDER BURNEB. -WANT OF ENERGY.-ATTACKB
ON CAPT. LAWBENCE AND LIEUT. BTURT. - OEARACTER
OF QEN. ELPHINBTONE. - UNMILITARY POSITION AND
CONBTRUCTION OP THE CANTONMENT AT CABUL.
November 2d, 1841. - AT an early hour this
morning, the startling intelligence was brought
from the city, that a popular outbreak had taken
place ; that the shops were all closed ; and that a
general attack had been made on the houses of
all British officers residing in Cabul. About
8 A. M. a hurried note was received by the Envoy
in cantonments from Sir .Alexander Burnes *,
stating that the minds of the people had been
strongly excited by some mischievous reports,
but expressing a %ope that he should succeed in
quelling the commotion. About 9 A. M., however,
a rumour was circulated, which afterwards proved
but too well founded, that Sir Alexander had
been murdered, and Capt. Johnson's treasury
+ The Envoy lived in the cantonment, and Sir A. Burnes
in the city.
plundered. Flames were now seen to issue from
that part of the city where they dwelt, and it was
too apparent that the endeavour to appease the
people by quiet means had failed, and that it
would be necessary to have recourse to stronger
measures. The report of firearms was incessant,
and seemed to extend through the town from end
to end.
Sir William Macnaghten now called upon
Gen. Elphinstone to act. An order w+ accord-
ingly sent to Brigadier Shelton, then encamped at
Seeah Sung, about a mile . and half distant from
cantonments, to march forthwith to the Bala Hie-
sar, or royal citadel, where his Majesty Shah
Shooja iesided, commanding a large portion of the
city, with the following troops ; viz. one compariy
of H. M. 44th foot ; a wing of the 54th regiment
N. I., under Major Ewart; the 6th regiment
Shah's infantry, under Capt. Hopkins ; and 4 horse
artillery guns, under Capt. Nicholl ; and on arrival
there to act according to his own judgment, after
consulting with the Ring.
The remainder of the troops encamped at Seeah
Sung were at the same time ordered into canton-
ments; viz. H. M. 44th foot under Lieut-Col.
Mackerell; 2 horse artillery guns under Lieut.
Waller ; and Anderson's irregular horse. A mes-
senger was likewise despatched to recall the 37th
4
N. I. Gom Khoord-Cabul without delay. The
troops at this time in calltonments were as follows:
viz. 5th regiment N. I., under Lieut.-Col. Oliver;
a wing of 54th N. I. ; 5 six-pounder field guns,
with a detachment of the Shah's artillery, under
Lieut. Warburton ; the Envoy's body-guard ; a
troop of Skinner's horse, and another of local
horse, under Lieut. Walker ; three companies of
the Shah's sappers, under Capt. Walsh ; and about
20 men of the Company's sapperg attached to
Capt. Paton, Assist.-Qr.-M~sL-Gen.
Widely spread and formidable as this insurrec-
tion proved to be afterwards, i t was at first a
mere insignificant ebullition of discontent on the
part of a few desperate and restless men, which
military energy and promptitude owht to have
crushed in the bud. Its commencement was an
attack by certainly not 300 men on the dwelling6
of Sir Alexander Burues and Capt. Johnson,
paymaster to the Shah's force ; and so little did
Sir Alexander himself apprehend serious con-
sequences, that he not only refused, on its first
breaking out, to comply with the earnest entreaties
of the wuzeer to accompany him t o. the Bala
Hissar, but actually forbade his guard to fire on
the assailants, attempting to check what he sup-
posed to be a mere riot, by haranguing the
attacking party from the gallery of his house.
29 HIS INCREDULITY. [CHAP. I.
The result was fatal to himself; for, in spite of
the devotedgallantry of the Sepoys, who composed
his guard, and that of the paymaster's office and
treasury on the opposite side of the street, who
yielded their trust only with their latest breath,
the latter were plundered, and his two companions,
Lieut. William Broadfoot of the BengalEuropean
regiment, and his brother Lieut. Burnes of the
Bombay army, were massacred, in common with
every man, woman, and child found. on the
premises, by these bloodthirsty miscreants. Lieut.
Broadfoot killed five or six men with his own
hand, before he was shot down.
No man, surely, in a highly responsible public
situation-especiallyin such a one as that held by
the late Sir Alexander Burnes - ought ever to in-
dulge in a state of blind security, or to neglect salu-
tary warnings, however small. I t isindisputable that
such warnings had been given to him; especially
by a respectable Affghan named Taj-Mahomed,
on the very previous night, who went in person
to Sir A. Burnes to put him on his guard, but re-
tired disgusted by the incredulity with which his
assertions were received. I t is not for me to
comment on his public character. I t is the pro-
perty of the civilized portion of the world ; but it
is due to another, little known beyond the im-
mediate sphere in which he moved, to say that,
c~ap. 1. 1 INACTION OF THE BRITISH. 23
had this outbreak been productive of no effects
beyond the death of l i a t . William Broadfoot, i t
could not be sufficiently deplored: in him was lost
to the state not only one of its bravest and most
intelligent officers, but a man who for honesty of
purpose and soundness of judgment, I may boldly
aver, could not be surpassed.
The King, who was in the Bala Hissar, being
somewhat startled by the increasing number of
the rioters, although not at the time aware, so far
as we can judge, of the assassination of Sir A.
Bumes, despatched one of his sons with a number
of his immediate AfTghan retainers, and that corps
of Hindoostanees comnionly called Campbell's
regiment, with two guns, to restore order: no
support, however, was rendered to these by our
troops, whose leaders appeared so thunderstruck
by the intelligence of the outbreak, as to be in-
capable of adopting more than the most puerile
defensive measures. Even Sir William Mac-
naghten seemed, from a note received at this time
from him by Captain Trevor, to apprehend little
danger, as he therein expressed his perfect con-
fidence as to the speedy and complete success of
Campbell's Hindoostanees in putting an end to the
disturbance. Such, however, was not the case ;
for the enemy, encouraged by our inaction, in-
creased.rapidly in spirit and numbers, and drove
24 MILITARY RESIDENCES. [CHAP. I.
back the king's guard with great slaughter, the
guns being with difficulty saved.
.
I t must be understood that Capt. Trevor lived
at this time with his family in a strong bourge, or
tower, situated by the riverside, near the Kuzzil-
bash quarter, which, on the west, is wholly dis-
tinct from the remainder of the city. Within
musket shot, on the opposite side of the river, in
the direction of the strong and populous village of
Deh Mghan, ie a fort of some size, then used as
a godown, or storehousei by the Shah's com-
missariat, part of i t being occupied by Brigadier
Anquetil, commanding the Shah's force. Close
to this fort, divided by a narrow watercourse, was
the house of Capt. Troup, Brigade Major of the
Shah's force, perfectly defensible against musketry.
Both Brigadier Anquetil and Capt. Troup had
gone out on horseback early in the morning to-
wards cantonments, and were unable to return ;
but the above fort and house contained the usual
guard of Sepoys ; and in a garden close at hand
called the Yaboo-Khaneh,.or 1in.j~ of the baggage-
cattle, was a small detachment of the Shah's sap-
pers and miners, and a party of Captain Ferris's
juzailchees. Capt. Trevor's tower was capable of
being made good against a much stronger force
than the rebels at this present time could have
collected, had i t been properly garrisoned.
L ATTACK ON CAPT. LAWRENCE 95
As it was, the Hazirbash, or King's life-guards,
we*, under Capt. Trevor, congregated round
their leader, to protect him and his family ; which
duty, it will be seen, they well performed under
very trying circumstances. For what took place
i n this quarter I beg to refer t o a communication
made to me at my request by Capt. Colin Mac-
kenzie, Assistant Political Agent at Peshawur,
who then occupied the godown portion of the
fort above mentioned, which will be found here-
after. *
I have already stated that Brigadier Shelton
was early in the day directed to proceed with part
of the Seeah Sung force to occupy the Bala Hissar,
and, if requisite, to lead his troops against the
insurgents. Capt. Lawrence, military secretary
to the Envoy, was at the same time sent forward
to prepare the King for that officer's reception.
Taking with him four troopers of the body-guard,
he was galloping along the main road, when,
shortly after crossing the river, he was suddenly
attacked by an m h a ~ , who, rushing from behind
* I am sorry to say that this document ha8 not reached
me with the rest of the manuscript.
I have not struck out
the reference, because there ie hope that it still exista, and
may be yet appended to this narrative. The loss of apy
thing else from Capt. Mackenzie's pen will be regretted by
all who read his other communication, the account of the
Envoy's murder. - EDITOR.
C
26 AND LIEUT. STURT. [CHAP. L
a wall, made a desperate cut at him with a large
two-handed knife. He dexterously avoided the
blow by spurring his horse on one side ; but, pass-
ing onwards, he was fired upon by about fifty
men, who, having seen his approach, ran out from
the Lahore gate of the city to intercept him. He
reached the Bala Hissar safe, where he found the
King apparently in a state of great agitation, he
having witnessed the assault from the window of
his palace. His Majesty expressed an eager desire
to conform to the Envoy's wishes in all respects
in this emergency.
Capt. Lawrence was still conferring with the
Ki, when Lieut. Sturt, our executive engineer,
mhed into the palace, stabbed in three places
about the face and neck. He had beep sent by
Brigadier Shelton to make arrangements for the
accommodation of the troops, and had reached
the gate of the Dewan Khaneh, or hall of au-
dience, when the attempt at his life was made by
some one who had concealed himself there for
that purpose, and who immediately effected his
escape. The wounds were fortunately not dan-
gerous, and Lieut. Sturt was conveyed back to
cantonments in the king's own palanquin, under
a Strong escort. Soon after this, Brig. Shelton's
force arrived; but the day was suffered to pass
without any thing being done demonstrative of
CHAP. L] GENERAL ELPHINSTONE. 27
British energy and power. The murder of our
countrymen, and the spoliation of public and
private property, were perpetrated with impunity
within a mile of our cantonment, and under the
very walls of the Bala Hissar.
Such an exhibition on our part taught the
enemy their strength - confirmed against us
those who, however disposed to join in the re-
bellion, had hitherto kept aloof from prudential
motives, and ultimately encouraged the nation to
unite as one man for our destruction.
I t was, in fact, the crisis of all others calculated
to test the qualities of a military commander.
Whilst, however, i t is impossible for an unpre-
judiced person to approve the military dispositions
of this eventful period, it is equally our duty to
discriminate. The most responeible party is not
always the most culpable. It would be the height
of injustice to a most amiable and gallant officer
not to notice the long course of painful and wear-
ing illness, which had materially affected the
nerves, and probably even the intellect, of Gen.
Elphinstone ; cruelly incapacitating him, so far
as he was personally concerned, from acting in
this sudden emergency with the promptitude and
vigour necessary for our preservation. Major-
Gen. Elphinstone had some time before repre-
sented to Lord Auckland the shattered state of
c 2
48 HIS CHARACTER. [CHN, L
his health, stating plainly and honestly that i t
had unfitted him to continue in command, and
requesting permission to resign. Lord Auckland
at first pressed him to remain, but ultimately
acceded to his wishes; and the General was on
the point of returning to India, thence to embark
for England, when the rebellion unhappily broke
out.* No one, who knew Gen. Elphinstone, could
fail to esteem his many excellent qualities both
in public and private life. To all under his com-
mand, not excepting the youngest subaltern, he
was ever accessible, and in the highest degree
courteous and considerate: nor did he ever ex-
hibit, either in word or practice, the slightest
partiality for officers of his own service over those .
of the Company. His professional knowledge was
extensive; and, before disease had too much
impaired his frame for active exertion, he had
zealously applied himself to improve and stimu-
late every branch of the service. He had, indeed,
but one unhappy fault aa a general - the result,
probably, of age and infirmity - and this was a
want of confidence in his own judgment, leading
him to prefer every body's opinion to his own,
until, amidst the conflicting views of a multitude
of counsellors, he was at a loss which course to
take. Hence much of that indecision, procrasti-
nation, and want of method, which paralyzed all
* See a note at the end of the book.
our efforts, gradually demoralised the troops, and
ultimately, not being redeemed by the qualities of
his second in command, proved the ruin of us all.
I might add that, during the siege, no one ex-
posed his person more fearlessly or frequently to
the enemy's fire than Gen. Elphinstone : but his
gallantry was never doubted. Unhappily, Sir
William Macnaghten at k t made light of the
insurrection, and, by his representations as to the
general feeling of the people towards us, not
only deluded himself, but misled the General in
council, The unwelcome truth was soon forced
upon us, that in the whole Mghan nation we
could not reckon on a single friend.
But though no active measures of aggression
were taken, all necessary preparations were made
to secure the cantonment against attack. I t fell
to my own lot to place every available gun in posi-
tion round the works. Besides the guns already
mentioned, we had in the magazine 6 nine-pounder
iron guns, 3 twenty-four pounder howitzers, 1
twelve-pounder ditto, and 3 53;-inch mortars ; but
the detail of artillerymen fell very short of what
was required to man all these eficiently, consist-
ing of only 80 Punjabees belonging to the Shah,
under Lieut. Warburton, very insu5ciently in-
structed, and of doubtful fidelity.
To render our position intelligible, i t is neces-
c 3
30 BAD POSITION OF THE [CHAP. r.
sary to describe the cantonment, or fortified lines
so called. I t is uncertain. whether, for the faults
which I am about to describe, any blame justly
attaches to Lieut. Sturt, the engineer, a talented
and sensible officer, but who was often obliged to
yield his better judgment to the spirit of false
economy which characterised our Mghan policy.
The credit, however, of having selected a site for
the cantonment., or controlled the execution of
its works, is not a distinction now likely to be
claimed exclusively by any one. But i t must
always remain a wonder that any Government, or
any officer or set of officers, who had either science
or experience in the field, should, in a haZj-con-
quered country, fix their forces (already inadequate
to the services to which they might be called)
in so extraordinary and injudicious a military posi-
tion. Every engineer officer who had been con-
sulted, since the first occupation of Cabul by our
troops, had pointed to the Bala Hissar as the only
suitable place for a garrison which was to keep in
subjection the city and the surrounding country ;
but, above all, i t was surely the only proper site
for the magazine, on which the army's efficiency
depended. In defiance, however, of rule and
precedent, the positio~i eventually fked upon for
our magazine and cantonment was a piece of low
swampy ground, commanded on all sides by hills
CE4P. I] CANTONMENT AT CABUL. 3 1
or forts. I t consisted of a low rampart and a
narrow ditch in the form of a parallelogram,
thrown up along the line of the Kohistan road,
1000 yards long and 600 broad, with round flank-
ing bastions at each comer, every one of which
was commanded by some fort or hill. To one
end of this work was attached a space nearly half
as large again, and surrounded by a simple wall.
This was called the '' Mission Compound : " half
of i t was appropriated for the residence of the
Envoy, the other half being crowded with b i d -
ings, erected without any attempt at regularity,
for the accommodation of the officers and assist-
ants of the mission, and the Envoy's body-guard
This large space required in time of siege to be
defended, and thus materially weakened the gar-
rison ; while its very existence rendered the whole
face of the cantonment, to which i t was annexed,
nugatory for purposes of defence. Besides these
disadvantages, the lines were a great deal too
extended, so that the ramparts could not be pro-
perly manned without harassing the garrison.
On the eastern side, about a quarter of a mile off,
flowed the Cabul river in a direction ~ar al l el with
the Kohistan road. Between the river and canton-
ments, about 150 yards &om the latter, was a wide
canal. Gen. Elphinetone, on liis arrival in April,
1841, perceived at a glance the utter unfitness of
c 4
92 POSITION AND DEFECTS OF THE 'SCRAP..
the cantonment for purposes of protracted defence,
and when a new fort was about to be built for
the magazine on the south side, he liberally offered
.to purchase for the government, out of his own
funds, a large portion of the land in the vicinity,
with the view of removing some very objection-
able inclosures and gardens, which offered shelter
to our enemy within two hundred yards of our
ramparts; but neither was his offer accepted, nor
were his representations on the subject attended
with any good result. He lost no time, however,
in throwing a bridge over the river, in a direct
line between the cantonments and the Seeah Sung
camp, and in rendering the bridge over the canal
passable for guns ; which judicious measure short-
ened the distance for artillery and infantry by at
least two miles, sparing, too, the necessity which
existed previously of moving to and fro by the
main road, which was commanded by three or
four forts, as well as from the city walls. More-
over, the Cabul River being liable to sudden rises,
and almost always unfordable during the rainy
season (March and April), i t will easily be under-
stood that the erection of this bridge was a work
of much importance. But the most unaccountable
oversight of all, and that which may be said to
hare contributed most largely to our subsequent
disasters, was that of having the commissariat
CHAP.L] CANTONMENT AT CABUL. 33
stores detached from cantonments, in an old fort
which, in an outbreak, would be almost indefen-
sible. Capt. Skinner, the chief commissariat officer,
at the time when this arrangement was made,
earnestly solicited from the authorities a place
within the cantonment for his stores, but received
for answer that "no such place could be given
him, as they were far too busy in erecting bar-
racks for the men to think of commissariat stores."
The Envoy himself pressed this point very urgently,
but without 'avail. At the south-west angle of ,
cantonments was the bazar village, surrounded by
a low wall, and so crowded with mud huts as to
form a perfect maze. Nearly opposite, with only
the high road between, was the small fort of Ma-
homed Shereef, which perfectly commanded our
south-west bastion. Attached to this fort was
the Shah Bagh, or King's garden, surrounded by
a high wall, and comprising a space of about half
a square mile. About two hundred yards higher up
the road towards the city, was the commissariat
fort, the gate of which stood very nearly opposite
the entrance of the Shah Bagh. There were
various other forts at different points of our
works, which will be mentioned in the course of
events. On the east, at the distance of about a
mile, was a range of low hills dividing us from the
Seeah Sung camp ; and on the west, about the
c 5
same distance off, was another somewhat higher
range, at the north-east flank of which, by the
road-side, was the village of Beymaroo, command-
ing a great part of the Mission Compound. I n
fact, we were so hemmed in on all sides, that,
when the rebellion became general, the troops
could not move out a dozen paces from either
gate, without being exposed to the fire of some
neighbouring hostile fort, garrisoned too by marks-
men who seldom missed their aim. The country
around us was likewise full of impediments to the
movements of artillery and cavalry, being in many
places flooded, and every where closely intersected
by deep water-cuts.
I cannot help adding, in conclusion, that almost
all the calamities that befel our ill-starred force
may be traced more or less to the defects of our
position; and that our cantonment at Cabul,
whether we look to its situation or its construction,
must ever be spoken of as a disgrace to our mili-
tary skill and judgment.
CHAP.IL] RETURN OF THE 3 7 ~ ~ BEGIMENT. 35
CHAP. 1i.
T E E 3 7 ~ ~ REGI MENT ATTAOKED ON I T0 RETURN FROM
XEIOORD-OABUL - MURDEB OF LIEVT8. MAULE AND
WEEELER.-UWJB OF THE 0 0 UI BS AEI AT FORT. -TEE
OENEBAL'B INDEOIBION. - MAJ OB TRAI N AND OAPT.
PATON. - WODEBBFUL ATTAOK ON T E E FORT OF W-
HOMED BBEREEF. - ENQAQEMENTB WI TH AFFQEAN
EORBE AND FOOT. - T E B ENEMY'S PLAN TO REDUOE
THE BRI TI SH BY BTARVATI0N.- BRI GADI EB SEELTON
BENT FOR FROM BALA E I W R .
November 3d. -AT 3 A. M. the alarm was sounded
at the eastern gate of cantonments, in consequence
of a brisk file-f%ng in the direction of Seeah
Sung, which turned out to proceed from the
37th regiment N. I. on its return from Khoord-
Cabul, having been closely followed up the whole
way by a body of about 3000 Giljyes. The
regiment managed, nevertheless, to save all its
baggage excepting a few tents, which were left
on the ground for want of carriage, and to bring
in all the wounded safe.
A more orderly march was never made under
such trying circumstances, and i t reflects the
highest credit on Major Gd i t h s and all con-
cerned. This regiment was a valuable acqui-
c 6
36 . FIRING UPON THE CITY. [CHAP.=
sition to our garrison, being deservedly esteemed
one of the best in the service. Three guns of
the mountain train under Lieut. Green accom-
panied them, and +ere of the greatest use in
defending the rear on the line of march. I n con-
sequence of their arrival, a reinforcement was sent
into the Bala Hissar, consisting of the left wing
54th N. I., with Lieut. Green's guns, 1 iron nine-
pounder, 1 twenty-four-pounder howitzer, 2 54-
inch mortars, and a supply of magazine stores.
They all reached i t in safety, though a few shots
were fired at the rear-guard from some orchards
near the city. Brigadier Shelton was ordered to
maintain a sharp fire upon the city from the
howitzers and guns, and to endeavour to fire the
houses by means of shells and carcasses from the
two mortars ; should he also find i t practicable to
send a force into the city, he was to do so.
Early in the afternoon, a detachment under
Major Swayne, consisting of two companies 5th
N. I., one of H. M. PPth, and W H. A. guns
under Lieut. Waller, proceeded out of the western
gate towards the city, to effect, if possible, a
junction at the Lahore gate with a part of Briga-
dier Shelton's force from the Bala Hissar. They
drove back and defeated a party of the enemy
who occupied the road near the Shah Bagh, but
CHAP. n.] DESULTORY HOSTILITIES. 37
had to encounter a sharp iire from the Kohistan
gate of the city, and from the walls of various en-
closures, behind which a number of marksmen
had concealed themselves, as also from the fort
of Mahmood Khan commanding the road along
which they had to pass. Lieut. Waller and
several Sepoys were wounded. Major Swayne,
observing the whole line of road towards the
Lahore gate strongly occupied by some Affghan
horse and juzailchees, and fearing that he would
be unable to effect the object in view with so.
small a force unsupported by cavalry, retired
into cantonments. Shortly after this, a large
body of the rebels having issued from the fort of
Mahmood Khan, 900 yards south-east of canton-
ments, extended themselves in a line along the
bank of the river, displaying a flag ; an iron nine-
pounder was brought to bear on them fiom our
south-east bastion, and a round or two of shrap-
nell caused them to seek shelter behind some
neighbouring banks, whence, after some desultory
firing on both sides, they retired,
Whatever hopes may have been entertained, up
to this period, of a speedy termination to the
insurrection, they began now to wax faint=
every hour, and an order was despatched to the
officer commanding at Candahar to lose no time
38 LIEUTS. MAULE AND WBEELEB. [CHAP.=
in sending to our assistance the 16th and Md
regiments N. I. (which were under orders for
India), together with a troop of horse artillery,
and half a regiment of cavalry; an order was
likewise sent off to recall Gen. Sale with his
brigade from Gundamuck. Capt. John Conolly,
political assistant to the Envoy, went into the
Bala Hissar early this morning, to remain with
the King, and to render every assistance in his
power to Brigadier Shelton.
On this day Lieut. Richard Maule, command-
ing the Kohistanee regiment, which on its return
&om Zoormut had been stationed at Kahdarra in
Kohistan, about twenty miles north-west of Cabul,
with the object of keeping down disaffection in
that quarter, being deserted by his men, was,
together with local Lieut. Wheeler, his adjutant,
barbarously murdered by a band of rebels. They
defended themselves resolutely for several mi-
nutes; but at length fell under the fire of some
juzails. Lieut. Maule had been previously in-
formed of his danger by a friendly native, but
chose rather to run the risk of being sacrificed
than desert the post assigned him. Thus fell a
noble-hearted soldier and a devout Christian.
November 4th.-The enemy having taken strong
possession of the Shah Bagh, or King's Garden,
caH. n.] COMMISSARIAT FORT ATTACKED. 39
and thrown a garrison into the fort of Mahomed
Shereef, nearly opposite the b a a , effectually
prevented any communication between the can-
tonment and commissariat fort, the gate of which
latter was commanded by the gate of the Shah
Bagh on the other side of the r od.
Ensign Warren of the 5t h N. I. at this time
occupied the commissariat fort with 100 men,
and having reported that he was very hard
pressed by the enemy, and in danger of being
completely cut off, the General, either forgetful
or unaware at the moment of the important fact
that upon the possession of this fort we were
entirely dependent for provisions, and anxious
only to save the lives of men whom he believed
to be i n imminent peril, hastily gave directions
that a party under the command of Capt Swayne
of H. M.' s Nt h Regt. should proceed immediately
to bring off Ensign Warren and his garrison to
cantonments, abandoning the fort to the enemy.
A few minutes previously an attempt to relieve
him had been made by Ensign Gordon, with a
company of the 37th N. I. and eleven camels
laden with ammunition; but the party were
driven back, and Ensign Gordon killed. Capt.
Swayne now accordingly proceeded towards the
spot with two companies of H. M.'s 44th ; scarcely
had they issued from cantonments ere a sharp
44.) THE COMMISSARIAT PORT [CHAP. IL
and destructive fire was poured upon them from
Mahomed Shereefs fort, which, as they proceeded,
was taken up by the maxksmen in the Shah Bagh,
under whose deadly aim both officers and men
suffered severely ; Capts. Swayne and Robinson
of the 44th being killed, and Lieuts. Hallahan,
Evans, and Fortye wounded, in this disastrous
business. I t now seemed to the officer, on whom
the command had devolved, impracticable to bring
off Ensign Warren's party, without risking the
annihilation of his own, which had already sus-
tained so rapid and severe a loss in officers ; he
therefore returned forthwith to canto~lments. In
the course of the evening, another attempt was
made by a party of the 5th Lt. Cavalry ; but they
encountered so severe a fire from the neighbour-
ing enclosures as to oblige them to return without
effecting their desired object, with the loss of 8
troopers killed and 14 badly wounded. Capt.
Boyd, the Assist.-Corn.-Gen., having meanwhile
been made-acquainted with the General's inten-
tion to give up the fort, hastened to lay before
him the disastrous consequences that would ensue
from so doing. He stated that the place con-
tained, besides large supplies of wheat and atta,
all his stores of rum, medicine, clothing, &c., the
value of which might be estimated at four lacs of
rupees ; that to abandon such valuable property
c u . IL] I N JEOPARDY. 4 1
would not only expose the force to the immediate
want of the necessaries of life, but would infallibly
inspire the enemy with tenfold courage. He added
that we had not above two days' supply of provi-
sions in cantonments, tlnd that neither himself
aor Capt. Johnson of the Shah's commissariat had
any prospect of procuring them elsewhere under
existing circumstances. I n consequence of this
strong representation on the part of Capt. Boyd,
the General sent immediate orders to Ensign
Warren to hold out the fort to the last extremity.
(Ensign Warren, i t must be remarked, denied
having received this note.) Early in the night a
letter was received from him to the effect that he
believed the enemy were busily engaged in
mining one of the towers, and that such was the
alarm among the Sepoys that several of them
had actually made their escape over the wall to
cantonments; that the enemy were making pre-
parations to burn down the gate ; and that, con-
sidering the temper of his men, he did not expect
to be able to hold out many hours longer, unless
reinforced without delay. I n reply to this he was
informed that he would be reinforced by 2 A. M.
At about 9 o'clock P. M. there was an assembly
of staff and other officers at the General's house,
when the Envoy came in and expressed his serious
conviction that, unless Mahomed Shereef s far$
were taken that very night, we should lose the
commissariat fort, or at all events be unable to
bring out . of i t provisions for the troops. The
disaster of the morning rendered the General ex-
tremely unwilling to expose his officers and men
t o any similar peril ; but, on the other hand, i t was
urged that the darkness of the night would nullify
the enemy's fire, who would also most likely be
taken unawares, as i t was not the custom of the
Mghans to maintain a very strict watch at night.
A man in Capt. Johnson's employ was accord-
ingly sent out to reconnoitre the place ; he re-
turned in a few minutes with the intelligence
that about twenty men were seated outside the fort
near the gate, smoking and talking; and from
what he overheard of their conversation, he
judged the garrison to be very small, and unable to
resist a sudden onset. . The debate was now re-
sumed, but another hour passed and the General
could not make up his mind. A second spy was
despatched, whose report tended to corroborate
what the first had said. I was then sent t o
Lieut. Sturt, the engineer, who was nearly reco-
vered from his wounds, for his opinion. He at
first expressed himself in favour of an immediate
attack, but, on hearing that some of the enemy
were on the watch at the gate, he judged i t
prudent to defer the assault till an early hour in
cliAP.IL] ABANDONMENT OF THE FORT, 43
the morning : this decided the General, though
not before several hours had slipped away in
fruitless discussion.
Orders were at last given for a detachment to
be in readiness at 4 A. M. at the Kohistan gate ;
and Capt, Bellew, Deputy Assist.-Quar.-Mast.-
Gen., volunteered to blow open the gate ; another
party of H. M.'s 44th were at the same time to
issue by a cut in the south face of the rampart,
and march simultaneously towards the commis-
sariat fort, to reinforce the garrison. Morning
had, however, well dawned ere the men could be
got under arms; and they were on the point of
marching off, when i t was reported that Ensign
Warren had just arrived in cantonments with his
garrison, having evacuated the fort. I t seems
that the enemy had actually set fire to the gate ;
and Ensign Warren, seeing no prospect of a re-
inforcement, and expecting the enemy every mo-
ment to rush in, led out his men by a hole which
he had prepared in the wall. Being called upon
in a public letter from the Assist.-Adj.-Gen. to
state his reasons for abandoning his post, he
peplied that he was ready to do so before a court
of inquiry, which he requested might be assem-
bled to investigate his conduct ; i t was not, how-
ever, deemed expedient to comply with hia
request.
I t is beyond a doubt that our feeble and in-
effectual defence of this fort, and the valuable
booty i t yielded, was the first fatal blow to our
supremacy at Cabul, and at once determined
those chiefs - and more particularly the Kuzzil-
bashes - who had hitherto remained neutral, to
join in the general combination to drive us from
the country.
Capt. Trevor, having held out his house against
the rebels until all hope of relief was at an end,
was safely escorted into cantonments this morn-
ing, with his wife and seven children, by his Ha-
zirbash horsemen, who behaved faithfully, but
now, out of regard for their families, dispersed to
their houses Capt. Mackenzie likewise, after
defending his fort until his ammunition was ex-
pended, fought his way into cantonments late last
night, having received a slight wound on the road.
His men had behaved with the utmost bravery,
and made several successful sallies. See his own
account.*
November 5th.-It no sooner became generally
known that the commissariat fort, upon which we
were dependent for supplies, had been abandoned,
than one universal feeling of indignation per-
vaded the garrison; nor can I describe the im-
* I have already stated with regret that thu interesting
paper is missing. - EDITOR.
amp. n.] STORMING OF M. SHEREEF'S FORT. 45
patience of the troops, but especially the native
portion, to be led out for its recapture-a feeling
that was by no means diminished by their seeing
the Affghans crossing and re-crossing the road
betyeen the commissariat fort and the gate of the
Shah Bagh, laden with the provisions upon which
had depended our ability to make a protracted
defence. Observing this disposition among the
troops, and feeling the importance of checking the
triumph of the enemy in its infancy, I strenu-
ously urged the General to send out a party to
capture Mahomed Shereef's fort by blowing open
the gate, and volunteered myself to keep the
road clear from any sudden advance of cavalry
with two H. A. guns, under cover of whose
fire the storming party could advance along the
road, protected from the fire of the fort by a low
wall, which lined the road the whole way. The
General agreed; a storming party under Major
Swayne, 5th H. I., was ordered ; the powder bags
were got ready ; and at about 12 mid-day we issued
from the western gate : the guns led the way, and
were brought into action under the partial cover
of some trees, within one hundred yards of the
fort. For the space of twenty minutes the artil-
l e y continued to work the guns under an exces-
sively sharp fire from the walls of the fort; but
Major Swayne, instead of rushing forward with.
46 STORMING PARTY RECALLED. [ CHAP. ~.
his men, as had been agreed, had in the mean
time remained stationary under cover of the wall
by the road side. The General, who was watch-
ing our proceedings &om the gateway, observing
that the gun ammunition was running short, and
that the troops had failed to take advantage of the
beat opportunity for advancing, recalled us into
cantonments : thus the enemy enjoyed their tri-
umph undiminished; and great was the rage of
the Sepoys of the 37th N. I., who had evinced
the utmost eagerness to be Ied out, at this dis-
appointment of their hopes. I t must be acknow-
ledged that the General was singularIy unfortunate
in many of the coadjutors about him, who, with
all the zeal and courage which distinguish British
officers, were sadly lacking in that military judg-
ment and quiclisightedness which are essential to
success in a critical moment. Let me here, how-
ever, pay a just tribute to the memory of two of
his staff officers, now, alas ! no more. Few men
have ever combined dl the excellent qualities
which constitute the good soldier and the good
man more remarkably than did Major Thain of
H. M.'s 2l st Fusileers, A. D. C. to Gen. Elphin-
stone ; while of Capt. Paton, Deputy Quarter-
master-general, it may be safely d r me d , that
in solid practical sense and genuine singleness of
heart he was never surpassed. Would that dl ,
CHAP. IL] . SUCCESSFUL ATTACK. 47
to whom the General was in the habit of deferring,
had been equally wise to counsel and prompt
to execute with the two above-named gallant
men !
November 6th.-It was now determined to take
the fort of Mahomed Shereef by regular breach
and assault. At an early hour, 3 iron nine-
pounder guns were brought to bear upon its
north-east bastion, and 2 howitzers upon the con-
tiguous curtain. I took charge of the former,
and Lieut. Warburton of the latter. I n the space
of about two hours a practicable breach was ef-
fected, during which time a hot fire was poured
upon the artillerymen from the enemy's sharp-
shooters, stationed in a couple of high towers
whichcomplekly commanded the battery, whereby,
as the embrasures crumbled away from the con-
stant concussioa, i t became at length a difficult
task to work the guns. A storming party, com-
posed of 3 companies, viz. 1 comp. H. M. Mth,
under Ensign Raban, 1 comp. 5th N. I. under
Lieut. Deas, 1 comp. 37th under Lieut. Steer,
the whole commanded by Major Griffiths, speedily
carried the place. Poor Raban was shot through
the heart, when conspicuously waving a flag on
the summit of the breach.
As this fort adjoined the Shah Bagh, i t was
deemed advisable to dislodge the enemy from the
latter, if possible. Learning that there was a large
'
opening in the wall in the north side of the garden,
I took a six-pounder gun thither, and fired several
rounds of grape and shrapnel1 upon parties of the
enemy assembled within under the trees, which
speedily drove them out ; and had a detachment
of infantry taken advantage of the opportunity
thus afforded to throw themselves into the build-
ing at the principal entrance by the road side,
the place might have been easily carried per-
manently, nnd immediate repossession could have
been then taken of the commissariat fort opposite,
which had not yet been emptied of half its con-
tents. While this was going on, a reconnoitring
party under Major Thain, A. D. C., consisting of
1 H. A. gun, 1 troop 5th cavalry, and 2 comps. of
infantry, scoured the plain to the west of canton-
ments ; and having driven the enemy from several
enclosures, were returning homeward, when large
numbers of Mghan horse and foot were observed
to proceed from the direction of the city towards
the south-west extremity of a hill, which runs in
a diagonal direction fiom north+ast to south-west
across the plain, to the west of cantonments. A
resallah of Anderson's horse had been stationed
on the summit of this hill all the morning as a
picket, whence they had just been recalled, when
a large body of the enemy's horse reached the
WP. n.] SKIRMISHES. 49
base, and proceeded to crown the summit. Major
Thain's party, observing this, came to a halt;
and a few minutes afterwards a reinforcement
opportunely arrived, consisting of 1 resallah of
irregular horse under Capt. Anderson, 1 troop
of ditto under Lieut. Walker, and 2 troops 5th
cavalry under Capts. Collyer and Bott. I now con-
sidered it my duty to join the H. -4. gun, which
had no officer with it, and I accordingly left the six-
pounder gun under the protection of Capt. Mac-
kenzie, who, with a few of his juzailchees, had .
now joined me, having been engaged in skirmish- ,
ing across the plain towards the west end of the
Shah Bagh, where, finding an opening, he had
crept in with his men, and cleared that part of
the garden, but, not being supported, had been
obliged to retire with a loss of 15 killed out of 95.
I now advanced with the H. A. gun, supported
by a troop of the 5th cavalry, to the foot of the
hill, and opened fire upon the enemy, while the
rest of the cavalry, headed by Anderson's horse,
rode briskly up the slope to force them ofT The
officers gallantly headed their men, and encoun-
tered about an equal number of the enemy, who
advanced to meet them. A hand to hand encounter
now took place, which ended in the Affghan horse
retreating to the plain, leaving the hill in our
possession. I n this affair Capt. Anderson per-
D
sonally engaged, and slew the brother-in-law of
Abdoollah Khau. Meanwhile the enemy began
to muster strong on the plain to the west of the
Shah Bagh, whence they appeared to be gradually
extending themselves towards the cantonments,
as if to intercept our return; i t was therefore
deemed prudent to recall the cavalry fiom the
height, and show front in the plain, where they
could act with more effect. A reinforcement of
two companies of infantry and one H. A. gun was
sent out, and the whole force was drawn up in
order of battle, anticipating an attack, with one
gun on either flank. In this position a distant
f i e was kept up by the enemy's juzailchees, which
was answered principally by discharges of shrap-
nell and round shot from the guns ; the heights,
too, were again crowned by the AfKghan horse,
but no disposition was manifested by tbem to en-
counter us in open fight, and, as the night gradually
closed in, they slowly retired to the city. On
this occasion about 100 of the enemy fell on the
hill, while the loss on our side was 8 troopers
killed, and 14 wounded.
I t will be remembered that I left a six-pounder
gun at the opening in the wall of the Shah Bagh.
After my departure, large numbers of the enemy's
infantry had filled the west end of the Shah Bagh,
and, stealing up among the trees, and alose to the
high wall, towards the gun, kept up so hot and
precise a fire as to render its removal absolutely
necessary. Capt. Mackenzie had been joined
by a party of H. M.'s 44th; with whom, and with
a few of his own men, he endeavoured to cover
the operation, which was extremely difficult, i t
being necessiry to drag the gun by hand over bad
ground. Several of the Shah's gunners were
killed, and many of the covering party knocked
over, the gun being barely saved. I inay here
add, that from this time forward the juzailchees,
under the able direction of Capt. Mackenzie, who
volunteered to lead them, were forward to distin-
guish themselves on all occasions, and continued
t o the very last a most useful part of our force.
Novenaher 8th. -An attempt was made by the
enemy to mine one of the towers of the fort we
captured on the 6th, which could not have hap-
pened had we taken possession of the gate of the
Shah Bagh at the same time. Our chief cause of
anxiety now was the empty state of our granary.
Even with high bribes and liberal payment, the
Envoy could only procure a scanty supply, in-
sufficient for daily consumption, from the village
of Beymaroo, about half a mile down the Kohistan
road, to the north. The object of the enemy
undoubtedly was to starve us out ; to effect which
the chiefs exerted their whole influence to prevent
D 2
6.2 MEASURES OF THE ENEMY. [cI~AP.~.
our being supplied from any of the neighbouring
forts. Their game was a eure one ; and, so long
as they held firmly together, it could not fail to be
sooner or later successful. During the short in-
terval of quiet, which ensued after our capture of
the fort, the rebels managed to rig out a couple
of guns which they procured from the workyard
of Lieut. Warburton (in charge of the Shah's
guns), situated, unfortunately, in the city. These
they placed in a position near Mahmood Khan's
fort, opposite the south-east bastion of canton-
ments. All this time a cannonade was daily kept
up on the town by Capt. Nicholl of the Horse
Artillery in the Bala Hissar ; but, though con-
siderable damage was thereby done, and many of
the enemy killed, it required a much more power-
ful battery than he possessed to ruin a place of
such extent. On the morning of the Zd, when
the rebellion commenced, the two guns, which
were sent with Campbell's Hindoostanees into the
city, had been left outside the gate of the Bala
Hissar in the confusion and hurry of retreat,
where they had ever since remained. So jealous
a watch was kept over these by the enemy from
the houses of the Shah Bazar, that i t was found
impossible to get them back into the fort ; and it
was necessary for our troops to maintain an
equally strict watch to prevent their being removed
by the enemy, who made several desperate efforts
to obtain them. An attempt of this kind took
place to-day, when the rebels were driven back
into the city with considerable loss.
November 9th. -The General's weak state of
health rendering the presence of a coadjutor ab-
solutely necessary, to relieve him from the com-
mandof the garrison, Brigadier Shelton, the second
i n command, was, at the earnest request of the
Envoy, summoned i n from the Bala Hissar, in the
hope that, by heartily co-operating with the Envoy
and General, he would strengthen their hands and
rouse the sinking confidence of the troops. He
entered cantonments this morning, bringing with
him 1 H. A. gun, 1 mountain train ditto, 1 com-
pany H. M. Mth, the Shah's 6th mfantry, and a
small supply of atta.
64 GENERAL DESPONDENCY. [CHAP. m;
CHAP. 111.
DBPONDENCY I N OANTONYENT. - DI FFERENCE OF OPINION
BETWEEN ' BRI GADI ER SHELTON ' AND BIB WILLIAM
HACNAOHTEN. - ANNOYANOE PROM THE F I RE OP THE
ENEMY OUT OF SEVERAL FORTS.- STORMINO OY T HE
Rl KA- BASHEE FORT, UNDER BRI OADI ER SEIELTON. -
PERILOVB SITUAT10N AND BRAVEBY OF LIEUT. Bl BD.
- F URT HE I ENOAQEMENTS WI TH THE ENBIMY.- SITPE-
RI ORI TY OP T I E AFI QHANS I N THE USL.1 OF FIRE-ARMS.
Nosember 10th.-HENCEFORWARD Brigadier Shel-
ton bore a conspicuous part in the drama upon
the issue of which so much depended. He had,
however, from the very first, seemed to despair of
the force being able to hold out the winter at
Cabul, and strenuously advocated an immediate
retreat to Jellalabad.
This sort of despondency proved, unhappily,
very infectious. I t soon spread its baneful in-
fluence among the officers, and was by them com-
municated to the soldiery. The number of
eroakers in garrison became perfectly frightful,
lugubrious looks and dismal prophecies being
encountered every where. The severe losses sus-
tained by H. M.$lEPth under Capt. Swayne, on
the 4th instant, had very much discouraged the
caap. m.] DIFFERENCES OF OPINION. 65
men of that regiment; and i t is a lamentable fact
.
that some of those European soldiers, who were
naturaliy expected to exhibit to their native
brethren in arms an example of endurance and
fortitude, were among the first to lose confidence
and give vent to feelings of discontent at the
duties imposed on them. The evil seed, once
sprung up, became more and mbre difficult to
eradicate, showing daily more and more how
completely demoralising to the British soldier is
the very idea of a retreat.
Sir William Macnaghten alid his suite were alto-
gether opposed to Brigadier Shelton i n this matter,
i t being in his (the Envoy's) estimation a duty
we owed the Government to retain our post, at
whatsoever risk. This difference of opinion, on a
question of such vital importance, was attended
with unhappy results, inasmuch as i t deprived
the General, in his hour of need,.of the strength
which unanimity imparts, and produced an un-
communicative and disheartening reserve in an
emergency which demanded the freest inter-
change of counsel and ideas.
But I am digressing. - About 9 A.M. on the
10th the enemy crowned the heights to the west
in great force, and almost simultaneously a large
body of horse and foot, supposed to be Giljyes,
who had just arrived, made their appearance on
D 4
the Seeah Sung hills to the east, and, after firing
a feu de joie, set up a loud shout, which was
answered in a similar way by those on the oppo-
site side of us. This was supposed to be a pre-
concerted signal for a joint attack on the canton-
ments. No movement was however made on the
western side to molest us, but on the eastern
quarter parties of the enemy, mo-iing down into
the plain, took possession of all the forts in that
direction,. One of these, called the Rika-bashee
fort, was situated directly opposite the Mission
Compound, at the north-east angle of canton-
ments, within musket-shot of our works, into
which the enemy soon began to pour a very an-
noying fire; a party of sharp-shooters at the same
time, concealing themselves among the ruins of a
house immediately opposite the north-cast bastion,
took deadly aim at the European artillerymen
who mere working the guns, one poor fellow being
shot through the temple in the act of sponging.
From 2 howitzers aud a 54-inch mortar, a dis-
charge of shells into the fort was kept up for two
hours.
At this time not above two days' supply of
provisions remained in garrison, and i t was very
clear that, unless the enemy were quickly driven
out from their new possession, we should soon be
completely hemmed in on all sides. At the En-
CIUP. IIL] STORMING OF RIKA-BASHEE FORT. 57
voy's urgent desire, he taking the entire responsi-
bility on himself, thd General ordered a force to
hold themselves in readiness under Brigadier
Shelton to storm the Rika-bashee fort. About
12 A. M. the following troops assembled at the
eastern gate : - 2 H. A. guns, 1 mountain train
gun, Walker's horse, H. M.'s 44th footunder Col.
Mackerell, 37th N. I. under Major G~iffiths, 6th
regiment of Shah's force under Capt. Hopkins.
The whole issued Gom cantonments, a storming
party consisting of two companies from each
regiment taking the lead, preceded by Capt.
Bellew, who hurried forward to blow open the
gate. Missing the gate, however, he blew open
a wicket of such small dimensions as to render i t
impossible for more than two or three men to
enter abreast, and these i n a stooping posture.
This, i t will be seen, was one cause of discom-
fiture in the first instance ; for the hearts of the men
failed them when they saw their foremost comrades
struck down, endeavouring to force an entrance
under such disadvantageous circumstances, without
being able to help them. The signal, however,
was given for the storming party, headed by Col.
Mackerell. On nearing the +cket, the detach-
ment encountered an excessively sharp fire from
the walls, and the small passage, through which
they endeavoured to rush in, merely served to ex-
D 5
58 BRITISH TROOPS FALL BACK. [CHAP. 1x1-
pose the bravest to almost certain death from t h e
hot fire of the defenders. Col. Mackerell, how-
ever, and Lieut. Bird of Shah's. 6th infantry,
accompanied by a handful of Europeans and a
few Sepoys, forced their way in ; Capt. West:
macott of the 37th being shot down outside, and
Capt. McCrae sabred in the entrance. The gar-
rison, supposing that these few gallant men were
backed by the whole attacking party, fled i n
consternation out of the gate, which was on the
opposite side of the fort, and which ought to have
been the point assailed. Unfortunately, at this
instant a number of the AfTghan cavalry charged
round the corner of the fort next the wicket: the
c ~ y of c6 Cavalry !" was raised, a cry which too often,
during our operations, paralyzed the arms of those,
whose muskets and bayouets we have been accus-
tomed to consider as more than a match for a de-
'
sultory charge of irregular horsemen ; the Euro-
peans gave way siniultaneously with the Sepoys-
a bugler of the 6th infantry, through mistake,
sounded the retreat-and i t became for the time a
scene of sauae quipeut. In vain did the officers,
especially Major Scott of H. M.'sMt11, knowing the
fearful predicament of his commandii~g officer, ex-
hort and beseech their men to charge forward-not
a soul would follow them, save a private of the 44th
named Steward, who was afterwards promoted for
CHAP. In.] COL. MACKERELL.
59
his'solitary gallantry. Let me here do Brigadier
Shelton justice : his acknowledged courage re-
deemed the day; for, exposing his own person to
a hot fire, he stood firm amidst the crowd of fu-
gitives, and by his exhortations and example at
last rallied them ; advancing again to the attack,
again our men faltered, notwithstanding that the
fire of the great guns from the cantonments, and
that of Capt. Mackenzie's juzailchees from the
N. E. angle of the Mission Compound, together
with a demonstration on the part of our cavalry,
had greatly abated the ardour of the Affghan
horse. A third time did the Brigadier bring on
his men to the assault, which now proved suc-
cessful. We became masters of the fort. But what,
i n the mean time, had been passing inside the fort,
where, i t will be remembered, several of our brave
brethren had been shut up, as i t were, in the
lions' den ?
On the first retreat of our men, Lieut. Bird,
with Col. Mackerel1 and several Europeans, had
hastily shut the gate by which the garrisoii had
for the most part evacuated the place, securing
the chain with a bayonet: the repulse ou~i de,
however, encouraged the enemy to return in great
numbers, and, it being impossible to remain near
the gate on account of 'the hot fire poured in
through the crevices, our few heroes speedily had
D 6
@ BRAVERY OF LIEUT. BIRD. [CHAP. I X
the mortification to see their foes not only re-en-
tering the wicket, but, having drawn the bayonet,
rush in with loud shouts through the now re-
opeied gate. Poor Mackerell, having fallen, was
literally hacked to pieces, although still alive at
the termination of the contest. Lieut. Bud, with
two Sepoys, retreated into a stable, the door of
which they closed ; all the rest of the men, endea-
vouring to escape through the wicket, were met
and slaughtered. Bird's place of concealment at
first, in the confusion, escaped the observation of
the temporarily triumphant Mghans; at last i t
was discovered, and an attack commenced at the
door. This, being barricaded with logs of wood,
aiid whatever else the tenants of the stable could
find, resisted their efforts, while Bird and his now
solitary companion, a Sepoy of the 37th N. I.
(the other having been struck down), maintained
as hot a fire as they could, each shot taking deadly
effect from the proxin~ity of the party engaged.
The fall of their companions deterred the mass of
tlie assailants from a simultaneous rush, which
must have succeeded ; and tlius that truly cliival-
rous, high-minded, and amiable young gentleman,
whose subsequent fate must be ranlied among the
mysterious dispensations of Providence which we
cannot for the present fathom, stood at bay with
his equally brave comrade for upwards of a
CHAP. ull A SMALL SUPPLY GAINED. 61
quarter of an hour, when, having only five car-
tridges left, in spite of having rifled the pouch of
the dead man, they were rescued as related above.
Our troops literally found the pair '' grim and
lonely there," upwards of thirty of the enemy
having fallen by their unassisted prowess.
Our loss on this occasion was not less than 200
killed and wounded. Four neighbouring forts
were immediately evacuated by the enemy, and
occupied by our troops: they were found to con-
tain about 1400 maunds of grain ; in removing
which no time was lost, but as i t was not found
practicable to bring off more than half before
night-fall, Capt. Boyd, the Assist.-Corn.-Gen.,
requested Brig. Shelton that a guard might be
thrown into a small fort, where i t must be left
for the night ; this was, however, refused, and on
the following morning, as might have been ex-
pected, the grain was all gone: permanent pos-
session was, hovever, taken of the Rika-bashee
and Zulfekar forts, the towers of the remainder
being blown up on the following day.
Numbers of Giljie horse and foot still main-
taining their position on the Seeah Sung hkights,
Brig. Shelton moved his force towards that
quarter. On reaching the base of the hill, fire
was opened from the two H. A. guns, which,
with the firm front presented by our troops,
62 BOLDNESS OF THE ENEMY. [CHAP. ur.
caused the enemy shortly to retire towards the
city, and ere we turned homeward not a man re-
mained in sight.
November 13th. The enemy appeared in great
force on the western heights, where, having
posted two guns, they fired into cantonments .with
considerable precision. At the earnest entreaty
of the Envoy, i t was determined that a party,
under Brigadier Shelton, should sally forth to at-
tack them, and, if possible, capture their guns.
The force ordered for this service was not ready
until 3 P.M. It consisted of the following troops :
-2 squadrons 5th Light Cavalry, under Col.
Chambers ; 1 squadron Shah's 2d Irregular Horse,
under Lieut. Le Geyt ; 1 troop. of Skinner's
Horse, under Lieut. Walker; tbe Body Guard;
6 companies her Majesty's 44th) under Major
Scott ; 6 companies 37th, under Major Swayne ;
4 companies Shah's 6th Infantry, under Capt.
Hopkins; and 1 H. A. gun and 1 Mountain
Train do. under myself, escorted by a company
of 6th Shah's under Capt. Marshall. After quit-
ting cantonments, the troops took the direction of
a gorge between the two hills bounding the plain,
distant about a mile (the enemy's horse crowning
that to the left), and advanced in separate columns
at so brisk a pace, that i t seemed a race,which
should arrive first at the scene of action. The
caAP. m] ATTACK ON THEM. 63
infantry had actually reached the foot of the hill,
and were on the point of ascending to the charge,
ere the H. A. gun, which had been detained i n
the rear by sticking fast in a canal, could be got
ready for action ; nor had more than one round
of grape been fired, ere the advance, led on by
the gallant Major Thain, had closed upon the foe,
who resolutely stood their ground on the summit
of the ridge, and unflinchingly received the dis-
charge of our musketry, which, strange to say,
even at the short range of ten or twelve yards, did
little or no execution! From this cause the
enemy, growing bolder every moment, advanced
close up to the bayonets of our infantry, upon
whom they pressed so perseveringly, as to succeed
in driving them backwards to the foot of the hill,
wounding Major Thain on the left shoulder, and
sabring several of the men. Several rounds of
grape and shrapnel1 were now poured in, and
threw them into some confusion, whereupon a
timely charge of our' cavalry, Anderson's horse
taking the lead, drove them again up the hill,
when our infantry once more advancing carried
the height, the enemy retreating along the ridge,
closely followed by our troops, and abandoning
their guns to us. The H. A. gun now took up a
position in the middle of the gorge, whence i t
played with effect on a large body of horse as-
64 PROLONGED ENGAGEMENT. [CHAP. zn.
sembled on the plain west of the hill, who forth-
with retreated to a distance.
Our troops had now got into ground where i t
was impracticable for Horse-Artillery to follow.
I accordingly pushed forward with one artillery-
man and a supply of drag-ropes and spikes, to
look out for the deserted guns of the enemy;
one of these, a 4-pounder, was easily removed
along the ridge by a party of the Shah's 8th
Infantry ; but the other, a Spounder, was awk-
wardly situated in a ravine half way down the
side of the hill, our troops, with the Mountain-
Train 3-pounder, being drawn up along the ridge
just above it. The eve~iing was now fast closing
in, and a large body of Affghan infantry occupied
some enclosures on the plain below, whence they
kept up so hot a fire upon the gun, as to render
its removal by no means an easy.task ; but the
Envoy having sent us a message of entreaty that
no exertions might be spared to complete the
ti-iumph of the day by bringgng off both the
enemy's guns, Major Scott, of her Majesty's
Mth, repeatedly called on his men to descend with
him to drag the 6-pounder away ; but, strange to
say, his frequent appeals to their soldierly feelings
were made in vain : with a few gallant exceptions
they remained immovable, nor could the Sepoys
be induced to lead the way where their European
CHAP.'IU.] TWO GUNS RECOVERED. 65
brethren so obstinately hung back. Meanwhile
it became nearly dark, and the further detention
of the troops being attended with risk, as the
enemy, though driven from the hill, still main-
tained a threatening attitude below, I descended
with the Horse Artillery gunner, and, having
driven in a spike, returned to assist in making
sure of tlie captured 4-pounder. This, from the
steepness of the hill, and the numerous water-
cuts which every where intersected the plain,
proved a somewhat troublesome business. Lieut.
Macartney, however, with a company of the
Shah's 6th Infantry, urged on his men with zeal,
and we at last had the satisfaction to deposit our
prize safe within the cantonment gates. Mean-
while the enemy, favoured by the darkness, pressed
hard upon our returning troops, and by dint of
incessant firing and shouting rendered their home- '
ward marc11 somewhat disorderly, effecting, how-
ever, but little damage.
I t was no small disadvantage under which we
laboured, that no temporary success of our troops
over those of the enemy could be followed up,
nor even possession be retained of the ground
gained by us at the point of the bayonet, owing
to the necessity of withdrawing our men into their
quarters at night. On reaching tlie cantonment,
we found the garrison in a state of considerable
alarm, and a continual blaze of musketry illumi-
nating the whole line of rampart. This had arisen
from a demonstration of attack having been made
by the enemy on the south-west bastion, which
had been immediately checked by a few rounds
of grape from the guns, and by a well-directed
fire from the juzailchees under Capt. Mackenzie ;
but i t was long ere quiet could be restored, the
men continuing to discharge their pieces at they
knew not what.
Our infantry soldiers, both European and
Native, might have taken a salutary lesson from
the Affghans in the use of their fire-arms; the
latter invariably taking steady deliberate aim, and
seldom throwing away a single shot ; whereas our
men seemed to fire entirely at random, without
any aim at all; hence the impunity with which
the Affghan horsemen braved the discharge of
our musketry in this day's action within twelve
yards, not one shot, to all appearance, taking
effect. I n this affair Capt. Paton, Assist.-Quart.-
Mast.-Gen., had the misfortune to receive a
wound in the left arm, which rendered amputation
necessary, and the valuable services of one of our
most efficient staff officers were thus lost. This
was the last success our arms were destined to
experience. Henceforward i t becomes my weary
task to relate a catalogue of errors, disasters, and
oin~. m. ] THE AFFGHANS. 67
difficulties, which, following close upon each
other, disgusted our officers, disheartened our
soldiers, and finally sunk us all into irretrievable
ruin, as though Heaven itself, by a combination
of evil circumstances for its own inscrutable pur-
poses, had planued our downfall. But here it is
fit I should relate the scenes that had all this
while been enacting at our solitary outpost in
Kohistan.
EVENTS I N KOHISTAN. [CHAP. N.
CHAP. IV.
-
EVENTS IN KOHISTAN, A8 RELATED BY YAJOB POTTINQER.
-TREACHERY OF TEE NIJROW CHIEF&-ILIURDEB OF
LIEUT. RATTRAY.-GALLANTRY OF LIELIT. EAUQ~~TON.
--ATTACK BY TEE ENEMY ON TEE CHAREKAR CAN-
TONMENT.-MAJOR POTTINQER WOUNDED.-DEATH OF
CAPT. CODRINGTON.-DEPLORABLE SCARCITY OP WATER.
- DIBAPPEAEANCB OY DR. GRANT. -RETREAT TO-
WARDS OABUL - PERILB OF YAJOB POTTINQER AND
LIEUT. EAUQHTON. - THEY EROAPE TO CANTONMENT.
ON the 15th November, Major Pottinger, C. 3.
and Lieut. Haughton, Adjt. of the Shah's Pth,
or Goorkha regiment, came in from Charekar,
both severely wounded, the former in the leg, and
the latter having had his right hand amputated,
besides several cuts in the neck and left arm.
Their escape was wonderful.
The following is an outline of what had taken
place in Kohistan, from the commencement of the
.
insurrection up to the present date.
I t appears, from Major Pot tinger's account of
the transactions of that period, that i t was not
without reason he had so urgently applied to Si r
William Macnaghten for reinforcements. To-
wards the end of October, premonitory signs of
CHAP. XV.] NIJROW CHIEFS REBEL. 69
the coming tempest had become so unequivocally
threatening as to confirm Major Pottinger in his
worst suspicions, and in his conviction that order
could not possibly be restored without a departure
on the part of government from the long-suffering
system which had been obstinately pursued with
respect to Nijrow in particular ; but his convic-
tion alone could do little to stem the torrent of
coming events.
About this time Meer Musjeedee, a contuma-
cious rebel against the Shah's authority, who had
been expelled from Kohistan during General
Sale's campaign i n that country in 1840, and who
had taken refuge in Nijrow after the fashion of
many other men of similar stamp, obstinately re-
fusing to make his submission to the Shah even
upon the most favourable terms, openly put him-
self at the head of a powerful and well-organised
party, with the avowed intention of expelling the
Feringees and overturning the existing govern-
ment. He was speedily joined by the most in-
fluential of the ' ~i j r o w chiefs. A few of these
made their appearance before Lughmanee, where
Major Pottinger resided, and proffered their ser-
vices towards the maintenance of the public tran-
quillity. I t will be seen that their object was the
blackest treachery.
70 MURDER OF LIEUT. RATTRAY. [CHAP-IT
I shall here relate Major Pottinger's story,
almost in his own words, as given to me.
I n the course of the forenoon of the 3d of
November, Major Pottinger had an interview with
a number of the more influential chiefs in his
house or fort, and, about noon, went into the
garden to receive those of inferior rank, accom-
pauied by his visiters: here they were joined by
Lieut. Charles Rattray, Major Pottinger's Assist-
ant. I n discussing the question of the rewards to
which their services might entitle them, the head
men declared that, although they were willing to
agree to Major Pottinger's propositions, they could
not answer for their clansmen, and the above-men-
tioned petty chiefs, who were awaiting the ex-
pected conference at some little distance. Mr.
Rattray, accordingly, in company with several of
the principal, joined the latter, and, shortly after,
proceeded with them to an adjoining field, where
numbers of their armed retainers were assem-
bled, for the purpose of ascertaining their senti-
ments on the subject of the conference. While
thus engaged, this most promising and brave
young officer apparently became aware of in-
tended foul play, and turned to leave the field,
when he was immediately shot down. At this
time Major Pottinger was still sitting i n his
garden, in company with several of the above-
CHAP. m.] OPEN HOSTILITIES. 71
mentioned chiefs, and .had just received intelli-
gence of the purposed treachery from Mahomed
Kasim Khan, a debashee of Hazirbash, a small
detachment of which composed a part of his escort:
he had with di5culty comprehended the man's
meaning, which was conveyed by hints, when the
sound of firing was heard :-the chiefs that were
with hiin rose and fled, and he escaped into the
fort by the postern gate; which haying secured,
he, from the terre-plein of the rampart, saw poor
Mr. Rattray lying badly wounded in the field at
the distance af some 300 yards, and the late pre-
tended negotiators making off in all directions
with the plunder of the camp of the Hazirbash
detachment. Of these plunderers a party passing
close to Mr. Rattray, and observing that life was
not extinct, one of them put his gun close to his
head, and blew his brains out,- several others
discharging their pieces into different parts of his
body.
Major Pottinger's guard, being by this time on
the alert, opened a fire, which speedily cleared the
open space ; but the enemy, seeking shelter in the
numerous watercourses, and under the low walls
surrounding the fort, harassed them incessantly
until the appearance of Lieut. Haughton, adjutant
of the Goorkha regiment, who, advancing from
Charekar, where the corps was cantoned, distant
72 SKIRMISH WITH THE ENEMY. [CHAP. IV.
about three miles, speedily drove the assailants
from their cover. Capt. Codrington, who com-
manded the regiment, chanced to be in Lughmanee
at this very time; and, on Mr. Haughton's ap-
proach, he led out a sortie and joined him : the
skirmish was sharp, and the enemy suffered se-
verely, Capt. Codrington remaining in possession
of an adjacent canal, the bank of which was im-
mediately cut, to supply the tank of the fort with
water in case of accidents.
The evening had now closed in, and the enemy
had retired, taking up a position which seemed to
threaten the Charekar road. Capt. Codrington
accordingly left Lughmanee in haste, strengthen-
ing Major Pottinger's party to about 100 men,
these having to garrison four small forts. He
promised, however, to relieve them the next
morning, and to send a further supply of ammu-
nition, of which there only remained 1500 rounds.
Capt. Codrington reached Charekar unmolested ;
and the enemy, returning to their former point of
attack, carried off their dead with impunity, the
p r i s o n being too weak to make a sally. On the
morning of the 4th) Capt. Codrington despatched
four companies with a six-pounder gun, according
to promise. Their march caused numbers of the
enemy now assembled on all sides to retreat ; but
one large body remained in position on the skirts
of the mountain range to their right, and threatened
their flank. Mr. Haughton, who commanded,
detached Ensign Salisbury with a company to
disperse them, which, in spite of the disparity of
numbers, was effected in good style. Unhappily
the Goorkhas, being young soldiers, and flushed
with success, pressed forward in pursuit with too
much eagerness, regardless of the recalling bugle,
when at last Mr. Salisbury with di5culty halted
them, and endeavoured to retrace his steps. The
enemy, observing the error they had committed
in separating themselves too far from their main
body, rallied and followed them in their retreat
so closely, as to oblige Mr. Salisbury to halt his
little band frequently, and face about. Mr.
Haughton, consequently, in order to extricate the
compromised company, halted his convoy, and
despatched the greatest part of his men in the
direction of the skirmish. All this encouraged
the other parties of the enemy who had retired
to return, against whom, i n numbers not less than
4000 men, Mr. Haughton maintained his ground
until rejoined by his subaltern, when, seeing the
hopelessness of making good his way to Lugh-
manee, he retreated, and regained in safety the
fortified barracks at Charekar. Many of the men
fell i n this expedition, which would have proved
infinitely more disastrous, from the number of the
E
'744 FURTHER ATTACKS. [CHAP. rv.
enemy's cavalry, who latterly seemed to gain con-
fidence at every stage, but for the extraordinary
gallantry and conduct of Mr. Haughton, who,
tvith a handful of men and a gun, protected the
rear of our aver-matched troops. Mr. Salisbury
was mortally wounded, and the trail of the gun
gave way just as the party reached Charekar.
This disappointn~ent led Major Pottinger to
believe that no second attempt would be made
to relieve them; and as he had no ammunition
beyond the supply in the men's pouches, he de-
termined to retreat on Charekar after dark : t he
better to hide his intention, he ordered grain t o
be brought into the fort. Meantime the Charekar
cantonment was attacked on all sides, and i n the
afternoon large bodies of the enemy were de-
tached thence, and, joining others from that part
of the valley, recommenced their investment of
Lughmnnee. That part of the Major's garrison
which occupied the mal l fort to the east of the
principal one, defended by himself, although their
orders were not to vacate their posts until after
dark, being panic-stricken, did so at once, gaining
.the stronger position, but leaving behind several
wounded comrades and their havildar, who remained
staunch to his duty: these, however, were brought
off. Major Pottinger then strengthened the gar-
rison of a cluster of aqjacent huts, which, being
CHAP. IV.] RETREAT TO CHAREKAR. 75
surrounded by a sort of rude fortification, formed
a tolerably good out-work ; but the want of Euro-
pean officers to control the men was soon la-
mentably apparent, and in a short time the
Goorkhas, headed by their native officer, aban-
doned the hmnlet, followed as a matter of course
by the few Mghan soldiers attached to Capt. Cod-
rington's person, who had remained faithful until
then. This last misfortune gave the enemy cover
up to the very gate of the main stronghold, and
before dark they had succeeded in getting pos-
session of a gun-shed built against its outer wall,
whence they commenced mining.
As soon as night bad fairly closed in, Major
Pottinger drew together the Goorkha garrison out-
side the postern gate, under pretence of making a
sortie, and thus separated them from t he' ughans
and their followers, who remained inside ; he then
marched for Charekar, the garrison of the remain-
ing fort joining him as he drew on ; he passed by
the investing posts in perfect silence, taking his
route along the skirts of the mountains to avoid the
main road, and arrived in safety at Charekar. In
Lughmanee he abandoned the hostages whom he
had taken from the Kohistan chiefs, two boxes of
treasure containing ROO0 rupees, about sixty stand
of juzails, all his office records, Mr. Rattray's,
Dr. Grant's, and his own personal property, and a
E 2
76 MAJOR POT.TIKGER WOUNDED. [CHAP. I ~ .
number of horses belonging to himself and the
above-mentioned two officers, and to some horse-
men who had not deserted - for the greater part
of his escort had fled in the beginning
of the affray. The Heratees, and seven or eight
Peshawarees, were the only Affghans who ad-
hered to him: the Cabulees, had deserted t o a
man, immediately on the murder of Mr. Rattray ;
they had been much disgusted the preceding
month, as well as their comrades who proved un-
faithful too, by the sudden reduction of a portion
of his escort, which naturally led them t o appre-
hend that their livelihood from the British service
was of a precarious nature.
On the morning of 5th Nov. large bodies of t he
enemy closed in round the Charekar barracks,
and about 7 o'clock they attacked t he outposts
with a spirit engendered by the success of the
preceding evening. Capt. Codrington requested
Major Pottinger to take charge of what artillery
he had, and to move a squadron in support of the
skirmishers, which he did. The skirmishers were
driven in9 and, while retreating, Major Pottinge*
was wounded i n t he l eg by a musket-shot. En-
couraged by this, and b y the d n i s h e d state of
the works round the barracks, i n the entrance of
there was no gate, the enemy advanced
with great determination to the attack, and dis
CHAP. IV.] . DEATH OF CAPT. CODRINGTON. 77
lodged .the Goorkhas from some mud huts out-
side, which were still occupied by a part of the
regiment. I n this affair Capt. Codrington, an
officer of whose merits i t is difficult to speak too
highly, fell mortally wounded. The main post
was, however, successfully defended, and the
enemy driven back with considerable loss; upon
which Mr. Haughton (who had now succeeded
to the command, the only remaining officer being
Mr. Rose, a mere youth,) made a sortie and drove
the enemy out of the gardens occupied by them
in the morning, maintaining his ground against
their most desperate efforts until after dark.
Relief was then sent to the garrison (consisting
of about 50 men) of Khaja Meer's fort, which i t
had been found expedient to occupy previously,
because it colninanded the interior of the barracks
on the southern side.
From this time the unfortunate horses and
cattle of the garrison were obliged to endure the
extremity of thirst, there being no water for them,
and the supply for evee the fighting men scanty
in the extreme, obtained only from a few pools in
the ditch of the rampart, which had been formed
by a seasonable fall of rain. During the 6th the
enemy renewed their attack in augmented numr
bers, the whole populatioll of the country app
E 3
parently swarming to the scene of action.
withstanding two successful sorties, all the outposts
were driven in by dark, and thenceforth the gar-
rison was confined to the barrack itself.
On the 7th the enemy got possession of a o j a
Meer's fort : the regimental moonshee had been
pi ned over, and through him the native officer
was induced to surrender. From the towers of
that fort, on the Sth, the enemy offered terms, on
the condition that all the infidels should embrace
Mahomedanism. Major Pottinger replied, that
they had come to aid a Mahomedan sovereign in
the recovery of his rights ; that they consequently
were within the pale of Islam, and exempt from
coercion on the score of religioa The enemy
rejoined, that the King himself had ordered them
to attack the Kaffirs, and wished to know if
Major Pottinger would yield on receiving an
order. Re refused to do so, except on the produc-
tion of a written document. All this time the
gamison was sorely galled from the post of vantage
in possession of the enemy.
On the 9t h the enemy were enabled by the
carelessness of the guard to blow up a pad of the
south-west tower of the barracks ; but, before they
profit by the breach and t he paoic of the
men, Mr. Kaughton rallied the fugitives, -d,
CHAP. m.] SCARCITY OF WATER. 79
leading them back, secured the top of the parapet
wall with a barricade of boards and sand-bags.
On the loth, the officers drew their last pool
of water, and served out half a wineglms to each
fighting man.
On the 1 lth, all could not share even in that
miserable proportion, and their sufferings from
thirst were dreadful. During the night a sortie
was made, and some of the followers brought in a
little water from a distant place, the sight of
which only served to aggravate the distress of the
majority ; still, however, the fortitude of these
brave and hardy soldiers remained unshaken,
although apathy, the result of intense suffering,
especially among Hindoos, began to benumb
their faculties.
On the lRth, after dark, Mr. Haughtor~ ordered
out a party to cover the water-carriers in an
attempt to obtain a supply ; but the over-harassed
Sepoys, unable to restrain themselves, dashed out
of the ranks on approaching the coveted element,
instead of standing to their arms to repel the
enemy, and, consequently, the expedition failed
in its object. Another sortie, consisting of two
companies under Ensign Rose, was then ordered
out, one of which, having separated from the other,
dispersed in search of water ; that under Mr. Rose
E 4
himself fell on a post of the besiegers, every man
of which they bayoneted; but, being unaccountably
struck with a panic, the men fled back to the
barracks, leaving Mr. Rose almost alone, who was
then obliged to return, having accomplished his
object but partially. These circumstances were
communicated by Mr. Haughton to Major Pot-
tinger (whose wound had disabled him from
active bodily co-operation in these last events),
together with the startling intelligence, that the
corps was almost wholly disorganised from the
large amount of killed and wounded, the hard-
ships i t had undergone, the utter inefficiency of
the native officers, who had no sort of control
over the soldiers, the exhaustion of the men from
constant duty, and the total want of water and
provisions.
Relief from Cabul, for which Major Pottinger
had written repeatedly, seemed now hopeless,
and an attempt at protracted defence of the post
appeared likely to ensure the destruction of its
brave defenders. Major Pottinger considered
that the only remaining chance of saving any
portion of the regiment was a retreat to Cabul;
and, although that was abundantly perilous, he
entertained a hope that a few of the most active
men who were not encumbered with wives and
children might escape. Then was felt most bit-
CHAP. 1v.1 LIEUT. HAUGHTON CUT DOWE. 81
terly, the impolicy of the encouragement which
had been held out to all the recruits to bring
their families with them, on what, even at the
time of their being raised, was looked on by the
most able officers as likely to prove a campaign
of several years. Mr. Haughton coincided in
the Major's views, and i t was agreed, to ensure
secrecy, that the men should not be informed of
their intentions until paraded for the march.
This wretched state of thipgs continued until
the afternoon of the 13th, when Mr. Haughton
discovered amongst the Punjabee artillerymen two
who had deserted a few days previously, and who
apparently had returned f ~ r the purpose of Se-
ducing their comrades. He immediately seized
them ; but, while he was in the act of their appre-
hension, the jemadar of the artillery, himself a
Punjabee Mussulman, snatched a sword from a
bystander, apd cut d ~ wn that officer, repeating
his blows as he lay on the ground. Before the
astonished Goorkhas cpuld draw their knives or
handle their muskets, this miscreant, followed bj-
all the artillerymen and the greater number of
the Mbme da ns in the barracks, ivshed out of
.the gate and escaped. The tumult and confusion
occasioned by tkis impressed Major Pottinger
with the idea that the enemy had driven the men
E 5
89 RETREAT COMMENCED. [CEAP. -
from the walls ; under this impression, he caused
himself to be carried to the main gate, but on
his arrival he found that Dr. Grant had secured
that point, and rallied the men. The native
officers immediately gathered round him, with
many of the Sepoys, to assert their fidelity ; but
demoralization had evidently progressed fearfully,
as may be judged from the fact that the garrison
had plundered the treasure and the quarters of
the deceased Capt. Codrington the instant the
Major had left them, and that in the face of the
enemy's fire they had pulled down the officers'
boxes, which had been piled up as traverses to
protect the doorway, broken them
open, and
pillaged them. Dr. Grant then amputated Mr.
Haughton's right hand, and hastily dressed the
severe wounds which he had received in his left
arm and on his neck. In the evening the doctor
-
spiked all the guns with his own hands, and the
garrison then left the barracks by the postern
gate. The advance was led by Major Pottinger
(Mr. Haughton, who accompanied him, being un-
able to do more than sit passively on his horse),
Dr. Grant brought out the main body, and
Ensign Rose, with the Quart.-Mast.-Serjt., com-
manded the rear.
Notwithstanding the previous sofferings of these
men, i t may be said that here com-
menced their real disasters. In vain did Major
Pottinger attempt to lead his men to seize a
buildipg generally occupied by the enemy after
night-fall, by the possession of which the exit of
the main body from the barracks might be covered,
I n fact, i t was with much difficulty that he even-
tually succeeded in halting them at about half a
mile from the barracks until the main body and
rear should close up. The men were naturally
occupied entirely with their families, and such
property as i t had been impossible to prevent
their bringing away ; and discipline, the only
source of hope under such circumstances, was at
an end.
After the junction of the main body and rear,
Dr. Grant suddenly disappeared, and was not
afterwards seen.
The regiment then proceeded along the road
to Sinjit Durrah, where Major Pottinger knew
that water could be procured. On reaching the
first stream, the last remxknt of control over this
disorderly mob was lost ; much delay took place,
and, in moving on, the advance became suddenly
separated from the main body. After an anxious
search Major Pottinger effected a rejunction.
At Sinjit Durrah they quitted the road to avoid
alarming the villages and any outposts that might
be stationed there; and much time was lost in
E 6
regaining the track from the other side : at Istalif
the same manoeuvre was practised. Major Potr
tinger now found very few inclined to push on ;
exhaustion from the pain of his wound precluded
the possibility of his being of any further use as
a leader; and he determined to push on with
Mr. Haughton towards Cabul, although with faint
hope that the strength of either would prove
adequate to the exertion. Having no guide, they
got into many difficulties; and day was breaking
by the time they reached the range of mountains
half way between Charekar and Cabul. Men and
horses were by this time incapable of further en-
durance : the latter, it must be remembered, had
been ten days without water previously to starting,
and five days without food; they were still u p
wards of twenty miles from any place of safety ;
their sufferings from their wounds, fatigue, hunger,
and thirst, made life a burden, and at this time
despair had almost obtained a victory- but God
sustained them. By Mr. Haughton's advice they
sought shelter in a very deep but dry ravine, close
to a small village, hoping that their proximity to
danger might prove a source of safety ; as it was
probable that the inhabibts, who by this time
must have been on the alert, would scarcely think
of looking for their prey close to their own doors.
The companions of Major Pottinger. and .Mr.
m.4~. IV.] MAKE FOR CABUL. 85
Haughton were a sepoy of the regiment, a moon-
shee, and the regimental buniah. I n the forenoon
they were alarmed by a firing on the mountains
above them; the cause of this, as i t appeared
afterwards, was that a few of the fugitive Goorkhas
had ascended the hills for safety (which, indeed,
i t was Major Pottinger's wish to do, until he
yielded ' to the arguments of his companion),
whither they were pursued and massacred by the
country people. The rest of the' day passed in
tranquillity ; and again, under the friendly shroud
of darkness, having previously calculated their
exact position, did this sorely-bestead little party
resume their dangerous route. It was providential
that Major Pottinger had, from his habits as a
traveller through unknown and difficult regions,
accustomed himself to ascertain and remember
the bearings of the most conspicuous landmarks
of the countries he traversed; it was therefore
comparatively easy for him to lead the way over
the steep and rugged peaks, by which alone they
might hope to find a safe path, -for the main
road, and even the more accessible tracks across
the tops of the mountains, were closely beset,
and watch-fires gleamed in all directions. Indeed
Gholam-Moyun-ood-deer, a distinguished partizan
in the service of the rebels, had been despatched
from Cabul, with a number of his most active
86 THEIR PERILS. [ c w . rr.
followers, purposely to intercept and seize t he
Major, of whose flight intelligence had been earl^
received, and actually was at that time patrolling
those very heights over which the fugitives passed.
But the protecting hand of Providence was dis-
played not only in leading them unharmed
through the midst of their enemies, but in sup-
plying them with mental fortitude and bodily
strength. Weak and exhausted, their hardy and
usually sure-footed Toorkmiul horses could scarcely
strain up the almost impracticable side of the
.
mowtain, or preserve their equilibrium in the
shaip sudden descents which they encountered,
for path there was none. On one occasion Mr.
Haughton, whose desperate wounds I have already
described, fell off, and, being unable to rise, de-
clared his determination of awaiting his fate where
he lay. The Major refused to desert him, and both
slept for about one hour, when, nature being a
little restored, they pushed on until they descended
into the plain of Alifat, which they crossed,
avoiding the fort of that name, and, struggling up
the remaining ridge that separated them from the
plain of Cabul, they entered i t by the southern
end of the Cabul lake. Intending now to cross
the cultivation, and to reach cantonments by the
back of the Shah's garden, Major Pottinger
missed his road close to Kila-i-bolund, and found
CI~AP. K.] ESCAPES. 87
himself within the enemy's sentries; but being
unwilling to alarm them by retracing his steps,
after discovering his mistake, he led the way
towards Deh AfTghan. Here they were challenged
by various outposts, to whom they answered after
the fashion of AfTghan horsemen ; but they were
compelled, in order to avoid suspicion, actually
to enter the city of Cabul, their only hope now
being in the slumberous security of the inhabitants
at that hour (it being now about 3 A. M.), and in
the protection of their Affghan dress and equip-
ments. The Goorkha sepoy, who, strange to
say, had kept up with them on foot, had his out-
ward man concealed by a large postheen, or sheep-
skin cloak. They pursued their way through
the lanes and bazar of the city, without any
interruption, except the occasional gruff challenge
of a sleepy watchman, until they gained the skirts
of the city. There they were like to have been
stopped by a picket which lay between them and
the cantonment. The disposition to a relaxatioii
of vigilance as the morning approaches, which
marks the A@han soldier, again befriended them ;
they had nearly passed the post before they were
pursued. Desperation enabled them to urge their
wearied horses into a pace which barely gave
them the advantage over their enemies, who were
on foot ; and they escaped with a volley from the
88 THEY REACH CANTONMENT. [CHAP. IT.
now aroused picket, the little Goorkha freshening
his way in the most surprising manner, considering
his previous journey. A few hundred yards
further brought them within the ramparts of our
cantonment, where they were received by their
brethren in arms as men risen from the dead.
CHAP. V.
REMOVAL FROY OANTONMENT TO BALA BISBAR DIBCU88ED.-
THE IDEA ABANDONED. - GENERAL BALE'S RETURN IM-
PRACTICABLE. - MAHMOOD KHAN'S FORT-ANNOYANOE
FROM IT - BUT LBFT IN ENEMY'R POSSEBBION.-LETTER
FROM THE ENVOY TO TEE GENERAL. - UNPROFITABLE
OPERATIONS AT THE VILLAGE OF BEYMAROO. - ARRI-
VAL OF XAHOMED AJKBER KHAN AT OABUL.
November 16th. -THE impression made on the
enemy by the action of the 13th was so far salu-
tary, that they did not venture to annoy us again
for several days. Advantage was taken of this
respite to throw magazine supplies from time to
time into the Bala Hissar, a duty which was ably
performed by Lieut. Walker, with a resalah of
irregular horse under cover of night. But even
in this short interval of comparative rest, such
was the wretched construction of the cantonment,
that the mere ordinary routine of garrison duty,
and the necessity of closely manning our long
line of rampart both by day and night, was a
severe trial t o the health and patience of the
troops ; especially now that the winter began to
90 CONTEMPLATED REMOVAL [CHAP. Y.
show symptoms of unusual severity. There
seemed, indeed, every probability of an early fall
of snow, to which all looked forward with dread,
as the harbinger of fresh difficulties and of aug-
mented suffering.
These considerations, and the manifest su-
periority of the Bala Hissar as a military position,
led to the early discussion of the expediency of
abandoning the cantonment and consolidating our
forces in the above-mentioned stronghold. The
Envoy himself was, from the first, greatly in favour
of this move, until ovefiuled by the many objec-
tions urged against i t by the military authorities ;
to which, as will be seen by a letter from him
presently quoted, he learned by degrees to attach
some weight himself; but to the very last i t was
a measure that had many advocates, and I ven-
ture to state my own firm belief that, had we at
.
this time moved into the Bala Hissar, Cabul
would have been still in our possession. The
chief objections urged were, lst, the difficulty of
conveying our sick and wounded; %dly, the want of
fiewood ; 3dly, the want of forage for the cavalry ;
Pthly, the triumph that our abandonment of can-
tonments would afford the enemy ; 5thly, the risk
of defeat on the way thither. On the other hand i t
was advanced, lst, that, though to carry the sick
would be diflcujt, i t still was not i mps i bl e ; for
CHAP. v.] TO BALA HISSAR. 9 1.
so short a distance two, or even three, men could
be conveyed on each doolie ; some might manage
to walk, and the rest could be mounted on the
yaboos and camels, on top of their loads ; Rdly,
although wood was scarce in the Bala Hissar,
there was enough for purposes of cooking, and
for the want of fires the troops would be amply
compensated by the comparative ease and comfort
they would enjoy in other respects; 3dly, the horses
must, in the case of there being no forage, have
been shot ; but the want of cavalry would have
been little felt in such a situation ; 4thly, as we
should have destroyed all that was valuable before
leaving, the supposed triumph of the enemy would
have been very short-lived, and would soon have
given way to a feeling of disappointment at the
valueless nrutqebof &eir acquisj tion, and of dismay
at the strength and security of our new position ;
5thly, the distance did not exceed two miles, and
one half of that distance was protected by the
guns of the Bala Hissar. I f we had occupied the
Seeah Sung hills with a strong party, placing guns
there to sweep the plain on the cantonment side,
the enemy could have done little to impede our
march, without risking a battle with our. whole
force in a fair field, to which they were generally
averse, but which would, perhaps, have been the
best mode for us of deciding the struggle.
9.2 REMOVAL NEGATIVED. [CHAP. V.
To remove so large a force, clogged with so
many thousands of camp followers, without loss
of some kind, was, of course, next to impossible;
but ought such considerations to have interfered
with a step which would have been attended in
the long run with such great military and political
advantages? Our troops, once collected in the
Bala Hissar, could have been spared for offensive
operations against the city and the neighbouring
forts, by which means plenty of food and forage
wodld in all probability have been readily pro-
cured, while the commanding nature of the po-
sition would have caused the enemy to despair of
driving us out, and a large party would probably
have been ere long formed in our favour. Such
were the chief arguments employed on either side ;
but Brigadier Shelton having firmly set his face
against the movement from the first moment of
its proposition, all serious idea of i t was gradually
abandoned, though i t continued to the very last
a subject of common discussion.
Novemberl8th.-Accounts were this day received
from Jellalabad, that Gen. Sale, having sallied
from the town, had repulsed the enemy with con-
siderable loss. At the beginning of the insurrec-
tion, Gen. Sale's brigade was at Gundamuk ; and
I have already mentioned, that an order recalling
i t to Cabul was immediately despatched by the
CHAP. v.] MAHMO'OD KHAN'S FORT. 93
Envoy. Gen. Sale, on receipt of it, summoned a
council of war, by whom i t was unanimously agreed
to be impracticable to obey the order. The cir-
cumstances of his march to Jellalabad are already
well known to the public. The hope of his return
had tended much to support our spirits ; our dis-
appointment was therefore great to learn that all
.expectation of aid from that quarter was at an
end. Our eyes were now turned towards the
Candahar force as .our last resource, though an
advance from that quarter seemed scarcely prac-
ticable so late in the year.
Much discussion took place this evening re-
garding the expediency of taking Mahmood Khan's
fort. There were many reasons to urge in favour
of making the attempt. I t was one of the chief
resorts of the rebels during the day, and they had
established a battery of two guns under the walls,
from which they constantly fired upon our forag-
ing parties, and upon the south-east bastion of
cantonments. I t was about 900 yards distant
from our rampart, which was too far for breaching
with the 9-pounders; but a dry canal, which ran
towards i t in a zigzag direction, afforded facilities
for a regular approach within 300 yards, of which
advantage might have been taken to enable the
artillery to make a breach. Secondly, this fort
commanded the road all the way up to the Bala
Hissar, and the possession of i t wouId a t once
have secured to us an easy communication with
that place, and with the city. Thirdly, the Enroy
declared his opinion that the Inoral effect derived
from its possession would be more likely to create
a diversion in our favour than any other blow we
could strike, as the Affghans had always attached
great importance to its occupation. These con-
siderations had decided the General i n favour of
making the attempt this very night, by blowing
open the gate, and a storming party was actually
warned for the duty, when Lieu+ Sturt, the en-
gineer officer, raising some sudden objection, t he
plan was given up, and never afterwards resumed
by the military. I t was, however, the cause of
no small astonishment t o the officers in the Bala
Hissar, who, from their commanding situation,
could observe all that took place on both sides,
that Mahmood Khan's fort should have been suf-
fered to remain in the hands of the enemy, though
at night i t was often garrisoned by a mere handful
of men. This,fort, nevertheless, gave abundant
occupation to the artillery, who, when nothing
else was going on, were frequently employed i n
disturbing the enemy in that quarter with one of
the iron 9-pounders, and an occasional shelling
from the mortar.
Novembm 19th.- A letter was this day received
CHAP.^.] LETTER FROM THE ENVOY. 95
by the General from the Envoy to the followiiig
effect : - " That, all hope of assistance from
Jellalabad being over, i t behoved us to take our
future proceedings into consideration. He him-
self conceived i t our imperative duty to hold on
as long as possible in our present position, and he
thought we might even struggle through the
whole winter by making the Mahomedans and
Christians live chiefly upon flesh, supposing our
supplies of grain to fail ; by which means, as the
essentials of wood and water were abundant, he
considered our position might be rendered impreg-
nable. A retreat towards Jellalabad would teem
not only with disaster, but dishonour, and ought
not to be contemplated until the very last extre-
mity. I n eight or ten days we should be better
able to judge whether such extremity should be
resorted to. In that case, we should have to sacri-
fice not only the valuable property of Government,
but his majesty Shah Shoojah, to support whose
authority we were employed by Government ; and
even were we to make good our retreat to JeUa-
labad, we should have no shelter for our troops,
and our catnp followers would all be sacrificed.
He had frequently thought of negotiating, but
there was no party of sufficient power and in-
fluence to protect us. Another alternative would
be to throw ourselves into the Bala Hissar ; but
96 LETTER FROM THE ENVOY. [c=a~. r.
he feared that would be also a disastrous reheat s
to effect which much property must be necessarily
sacrificed. Our heavy guns might be t urned
against us, and food and fuel might be scarce, for
a further supply of which we might be dependent
on sorties into the city, in which, if beaten, we
must of course be ruined. On the whole, he was
decidedly of opinion that we should hold out ; it
was still possible that reinforcements might arrive
from Candahar, or something might turn up i n
our favour; there were hopes, too, that, on t he
setting in of winter, the enemy would disperse.
He had been long disposed to recommend a blow
being struck to retrieve our fortunes, such as
taking Mahmood Khan's fort ; but he had since
reason to believe this would not answer. In
eight or ten days, he concluded, i t would remain
for the military authorities to determine whether
there was any chance of improving our position,
and to decide whether i t would be more prudent
to attempt a retreat to Jellalabad, or t o t he Bala
Himar. I f provision sufficient for t he winter
could be procured, on no account would he leave
the cantonment."
November 22d.-The village of Beymaroo (or
LC
hushandless," from a beautiful virgin who was
buried there) was situated about half a mile to
the
of cantonments, on the Kohistan road,
CHAP. v.] VILLAGE OF BEYMAROO. 97
at. the north-east extremity of a hill which
bounded the plain to the west. As i t was built
on a slope, and within musket-shot, the upper
houses commanded a large portion of the Mission
Compound. From this village we for a long
time drew supplies, the Envoy largely bribing the
proprietor, to which, however, the enemy in some
measure put a stop by taking possession of i t
' every day. . This mornicg, large bodies of Mghan
horse and foot, having again issued from the city,
proceeded to crown the summit of the above-
mentioned hill. I t was determined, at the re-
commendation of the Envoy, to send a party of
our troops to forestall the enemy in the occupation
of the village ; and Major Swayne, 5th N. I., was
appointed to that duty, with a detachment com-
posed as follows : -a Wing 5th N. I., $2 Re-
sallas Irregular Horse, 1 Resalla 5th Light
Cavalry, and one Mountain-train gun. The
party had already reached the village, when it
was deemed proper to send after i t a Horse Ar-
tillery gun, which I was requested by the General
to accompany. Major Swayne, however, i t would
seem by his own account, found the village
already occupied by a body of Kohistanees, and
the entrance blocked up in such a manner that
he considered i t out of his power to force a
F
98 VILLAGE OF BEMAYROO. [CRAP. v.
passage. On arriving at the place with the H. A.
gun, 1 found him in an orchard on the road-side,
the trees of which partially protected the me n
from a very sharp fire, poured in amongst t hem
from the houses. There being no shelter for t he
gun here, nor any mode of employing i t to ad-
vantage, i t was ordered to cross some fields to t he
right, and take up a position where i t could best
fire upon the village, and upon the heights above
it, which were now crowded with the enemy's
infantry. In order to protect the horses, I drew
up the gun near the fort of Zoolfa Khan, under
the walls of which they had shelter; but for the
gun itself no other position could be found than
in the open field, where it was exposed to the full
fire of the enemy posted in the village and behind
the neighbouring walls. The Mountain-train
gun was also with me, and both did some execu-
tion among the people on the summit of the hill,
though to little purpose.
Major Swayne, whose orders were to storm the
village, would neither go forward nor retire ; but,
concealing his men under the cover of some low
wall, he all day long maintained an useless fire
on the houses of Beymaroo, without the slightest
satisfactory result. The cavalry were drawn up
in rear of the gun on the open plain, as a con-
spicuous mark for the Kohistanees, and where,
CHAP. v.] THE AUTHOR WOUSDED. 99
as there was nothing for them to do, they ac-
cordingly did nothing. Thus we remained for
five or six hours, during which time the artillery
stood exposed to the deliberate aim of the nu-
merous marksmen who occupied the village and
its immediate vicinity, whose bullets continually
sang in our ears, often striking the gun, and
grazing the ground on which we stood. Only
two gunners, however, out of six were wounded,
but the cavalry in our rear had many casualties
both among men and horses.
Late in the evening, a party of Affghan horse,
moving round from behind Beymaroo, proceeded
towards a fort in our rear, whence a cross fire was
opened upon us. Brigadier Shelton now joined,
bringing with him a reinforcement from the 5th
N. I., under Col. Oliver. Major Swayne, with
two companies, was then sent to reconnoitre the
fort whence the fire proceeded, and the H. A.
gun was at the same time moved round, so as
to bear upon the Affghan cavalry, who hovered
among the trees in the same quarter. While
engaged in this operation, I received a bullet
through the left hand, which for the present ter-
minated my active services. Shortly after this
the troops were recalled into cantonments.
It is worthy of note, that Mahomed Akber
F 2
100 AKBER KHAN ARRIVES IN CABUL. 1 m - V -
Khan, second son of the late Ameer Dost Ma-
homed Khan, arrived in Cabul this night from
Bameean. This man was destined to exercise an
evil influence over our future fortunes. The crisis
of our struggle was already nigh at hand.
CHAP.VI.] SECOND ATTEMPT ON BEYMAROO. . 101
CHAP. VI.
A BEOOND BXPEDITION TO BEYMAROO. -INCREASING NUBI-
BERB AND VIGILANCE OF THE ENEMY.- OUR FORCE
DRIVEN BACK WI TH BEVEBID LOB& - OBBERVATIONB.
November 23d.- THIS day decided the fate of
the Cabul force. At a council held at the
General's house on the night of the 22d i t was
determined, on the special recommendation of the
Envoy, that, in consequence of the inconvenience
sustained by the enemy so frequently taking pos-
session of Beymaroo, and interrupting our foraging
parties, a force, under Brigadier Shelton, should on
the following morning take the village by assault,
and maintain the hill above i t against whatever
number of the enemy might appear. Accordingly,
at 2 A. M. the under-mentioned troops* moved out
of cantonments in perfect silence by the Kohistan
* 1 H. A. gun, under Sergt. Mulhal.
5 Cos. H. M. Wth, under Capt. Leighton.
6 Cos. 5th N. I., under Lieut.-Col. Oliver.
6 Cos. 37th N. I., under Major Kershaw, H. M. 13th.
Sappers, 100 men, under Lieut. Laing.
1 Squadron 5th Lt. Cav., under Capt. Bott.
I Ditto Irregular Horse, under Lieut. Walker.
.
100 men, Anderson's Horse.
F 3
10.2 HOSTILITIES AT BEYMAROO. [CHAP. vl.
gate, and skirting the musjed immediately oppo-
site, which was held by acompany of Her Majesty's
44th, took the direction of the gorge a t t he fur-
ther extremity of the Beymaroo hill, whi ch they
ascended, dragging the gun to the top wi t h great
difficulty, from the rugged and steep nat ure of the
side, which labour was greatly facilitated b y the
exertions of ROO commissariat surwoons, who had
volunteered for the occasion. The whole force
then moved to the knoll at the N. E. extremity
of the hill, which overhung the village of Beyma-
roo. The gun was placed in position commanding
an enclosure in the village, which, from i t s fires,
was judged to be the principal bivouac of the
enemy, and a sharp fire of grape commenced,
which evidexitly created great confusion, but i t
was presently answered by a discharge of juzails ;
the enemy forsaking the open space, and covering
themselves in the houses and towers : to t hi s we
replied in the intervals of the cannonade b y dis-
charges of musketry. I t was suggested by Capt.
Bellew and others to Brigadier Shelton to storm
the village, while the evident panic of the enemy
lasted, under cover of the darkness, there being
no moon : to this the Brigadier did not accede.
When the day broke, parties of the enemy were
descried hurrying from the village, and taking
across the plain towtrrds the distant fort, their fire
~B~P. vI . ] FAILURE OF STORMING PARTY. 103
having previously slackened from the failure of
their ammunition. At this time, certainly, not
above 44) men remained in the village. A storm-
ing party, consisting of 2 companies 37th N. I.
and some Europeans, under Majors Swayne and
Kershaw, were ordered to carry the village ; but
Major Swayne, taking a wrong direction, missed
the principal entrance, which was open, and ar-
rived at a small kirkhee, or wicket, which was
barricaded, and which he had no meails of
forcing, so that he was obliged to cover himself
and his men as well as he could from the sure aim
of the enemy's marksmen, by whose fire his party
suffered considerably, himself being shot through
the ncck.
After remaining thus for about half an hour, he
was recalled by the Brigadier, who observed large
bodies of armed men pouring out from the city
towards the scene of conflict. Meanwhile Lieut.
Walker had been directed to lead his irregular
horse down into the plain on the west side of the
hill, to cut off such fugitives from the village as he
might be able to intercept, and to cover himself
from the fire of infantry under the walls of an old
fort not far from the base of the hill. Brigadier
Shelton, leaving three companies of the 37th N. I.
in the knoll above Beymaroo as a reserve, under
F 4
104 NUMBERS OF THE ENEMY. [CHAP.-
Major Kershaw, moved back with the troops and
guns to the part of the hill which overlooked the
gorge.
Shortly after this i t was suggested to raise a
nmga, or stone breastwork, for the protection of
the troops wholly exposed to the distant fire of
the enemy's juzails; but this proposition was not
acted on. Immense numbers of the enemy, issuing
from the city, had now crowned the summits of
the hill opposite the gorge,-in all, probably
10,000 men. The plain on the west of the two
hills was swept by swarms of their cavalry, who
evidently designed to cut off the small party of
Irregular Horse under Lieut. Walker ; while the
failure of our attempt to storm the village had
rendered it easy for the enemy to throw strong
reinforcements into it, and to supply the ammu-
nition of which they had been in great want.
About 7 A.M., the fire from the enemy's hill
was so galling, that the few skirmishers sent to
the brow of our hill could with difficulty retain
their posts. As an instance of the backwardness
which now began to develop itself among our
men, i t must be mentioned, that Lieut.-Col.
Oliver endeavoured to induce a party of his own
regiment to follow him to the brow of the hill, to
keep down the sharp fire of a number of the
enemy, who had ensconced themselves in a small
MAP . VI.] COLONEL OLIVER. 10.5
ravine commanding the foremost square ; not a
man would follow him, - and i t was only after
that brave officer had gone forward himself into
the thickest of the fire, saying, fi Although my
men desert me, I myself will do my duty," that
about a dozen were shamed into performing
theirs. The remainder of the troops (the in-
fantry formed into two squares, and the cavalry
being drawn up en masse immediately in their
rear) suffered severely without being able to re-
taliate, from the comparatively short range of the
musket. Our single gun maintained as hot a fire
on the masses of the enemy as possible, doing
great execution; but the want of a second gun
to take up the fire was sensibly felt, inasmuch as,
after a short time, the vent became too hot for the
artillerymen to serve. This state of things con-
tinued until between 9 and 10 o'clock, when a
large party of the enemy's cavalry threatened our
right flank, and, to prevent his destruction, Lieut.
Walker was recalled. This demonstration, how-
ever, was repulsed by a well-directed discharge of
shrapnell from the H. A. gun, by one of which a
chief of consequence, supposed to be Abdoollah
Khan, Achukzye, was mortally wounded.
By the recall of Lieut. Walker the enemy were
enabled to surround our position at all points, ex-
cept that facing the cantonments; our gun am-
F 5
106 FIRE FROM THE OHAZEES. [CHAP.VL
munition was almost expended, and the men were
faint with fatigue and thirst (no water being pro-
curable), while the number of killed and wounded
was swelled every instant.
About this time (between 10 and 11 A. M.),
large bodies of the enemy's infantry advanced
across the plain from the Shah Bagh to the end
of the hill, to cut off the supplies of ammunition
coming from cantonments, as also the dhooZie8 on
which we endeavoured to send off a few of the
wounded. These, however, were checked by a
party of our troops in the muujed, opposite the
Kohistan gate, and by about fifty juzailchees
under the temporary command of Capt. Trevor,
(Capt. Mackenzie, their leader, having been re-
quested by Brigadier Shelton to act as one of the
staff for the day,) who lined some low walls and
watercourses, as well as by frequent discharges of
round shot and shrapnell from the cantonment
guns under Lieut. Warburton.
Previously to this, numbers of the most daring
Gllazees had descended into the gorge, and,
taking advantage of some hillocks on the ascent
towards our position, had crept gradually up,
maintaining a deadly fire on our skirmishers, who
were, unfortunately, wholly exposed ; they be-
came at length disheartened, and gave way. At
this moment the Brigadier offered a reward of
100 rupees to any man who should take a flag of
the enemy, which had been planted behind a
turnulus about thirty yards in front of the square,
and he fruitlessly endeavoured to induce the men
to charge bayonets ; several of the officers at the
same time advanced to the front, and actually
pelted the enemy with stones.* All attempts,
however, to encourage our men were in vain.
The attacking party were now emboldened to
make a rush upon our gun ; our cavalry were
ordered to charge, but again in vain, for the
men would not follow their officers. t The panic
spread, and our troops gave way, except the
second square, which had been formed about 200
yards in the rear, and three companies under
Major Kershaw at the other extremity of the
hill ; behind this second square the officers with
great difficulty rallied the fugitives, leaving the
* The names of this little band of heroes deserve to be
recorded : they were Capt. Macintosh and Lieut. Laing, who
were alnlost instantly killed, and Capts. Mackenzie, Troup,
and Leighton ; the latter fell in the retreat of the army from
Cabul, the other two happily still survive to fight their
country's battles : of such men the India11 army may well be
proud.
+ Capts. Bott and Collyer, 5th Light Cavalry; Lieut.
Walker, Irregular Horse ; Russular Ishmael Khan, Jemadar
Synd, Mahomed Synd, and Mirea Musseer Bey, of Ander-
son's Horse.
F 6
1 08 SHORT RALLY. [CHAP. vI.
gun in the hands of the enemy, who lost no time
in walking off with the limber and horses.
By this time the news of Abdoolah Khan's
wound had spread among the ranks of the enemy,
causing great confusion, which extended to the
Ghazees now in possession of the gun. This, and
the tolerably firm attitude resumed by our troops,
induced them to content themselves with the
limber and horses, and retire. Their retreat gave
fresh courage to our disheartened soldiers, who
again took possession of the gun, and advanced to
the brow of the hill, where were found the bodies
of Capt. Macintosh and Lieut. Laing, as well as
those of the soldiers slain in the onset, including
two H. A. men, who, with a devotedness worthy
of British soldiers, had perished while vainly en-
deavouring to defend their charge. Some fresh
gun-ammunition having now arrived from canton-
ments, carried by Lascars, a fire was again opened
on the ranks of the enemy ; but we were unable
to push the advantage gained by the momentary
disorder alluded to above, because, in fact, the
cavalry would not act. In the observations on
this 'action, made hereafter, there will be found
some palliation for the backwardness of the
cavalry on this occasion, in spite of the gallant
bearing of their leaders; the infantry were too
few, and too much worn out and disheartened, ta
CW. VL] OREAT SLAUGHTER. 109
be able to' make a forward movement. The con-
sequence was, that not only did the whole force
of the enemy come on with renewed vigour and
spirits, maintaining at the same time the fatal
juzail fire which had already so grievously thinned
our ranks, but fresh numbers poured out of the
city, and from the surrounding villages, until the
hill occupied by them scarcely afforded room for
them to stand.
This unequal conflict having lasted until past
noon, during which period reinforcements and an
additional gun had been in vain solicited from the
cantonments, Brigadier Shelton sent Capt. Mac-
kenzie to request Major Kershaw to move up his
reserve (which could scarcely so be called, having
been the whole day hard pressed by large bodies of
the enemy in the village, and by parties occupying
ruins and broken ground on the skirts of his posi-
tion). The Major, fearing that, if he abandoi~ed
the knoll on which he had been stationed, our
retreat to the cantonments (then becoming more
and more imperatively necessary) might be cut
off, made answer, that " he begged to suggest,
that the Brigadier should fall back upon him."
Before this message could be delivered, the front
ranks of the advanced square, at the Brigadier's
extremity of the hill, had been literally mowed
down ; - most of the artillerymen, who per-
110 BRITISH DEFEATED [ c u . vl
formed their duty in a manner which 5s beyond
praise, shared the same fate. The manoeuvre
practised by the Ghazees previously was repeated
by still greater numbers. The evident unsteadi-
ness of our troops, and the imminent danger to
which the gun was a second time exposed, induced
the Brigadier, after repeated suggestions from
Serg. Mulhall, who commanded the battery, to
order the gun to be limbered up-a second limber
having arrived from cantonments-and to retire
towards Major Kershaw's position. Scarcely had
this movement been commenced, when a rush from
the Ghazees completely broke the square ; -all
order was at an end :-the entreaties and com-
mands of the officers, endeavouring to rally the
men, were not even listened to, and an utter
rout ensued down the hill in the direction of
cantonments, the enemy closely following, whose
cavalry, in particular, made a fearful slaughter
among the unresisting fugitives. Major Kershaw's
party, perceiving this disaster, endeavoured to
escape ; but strong parties, issuing from the vil-
lage, cut off their retreat, and tlius great numbers
of our Sepoys perished : the grenadier company,
especially, was all but annihilated. The mingled .
tide of .flight and pursuit seemed, to those who
manned the walls of cantonment, to be about
to enter the gate together ; and, by some fatality,
CHAP. VL] WITH IMMENSE LOSS. 111
the ammunition of the great guns in battery with-
in the cantonments was almost expended. A
heavy fi e, however, was opened from the Shah's
5th Infantry in the Mission Compound : a fresh
troop of the 5th Cavalry, under Lieut. Har dpan,
charged across the plain towards the enemy, joined
by Lieut. Walker, who had rallied fifteen or twenty
of his own men ; during which gallant effort this
most promising and brave young officer received
a mortal wound. These operations, assisted by a
sharp discharge from the juzailchees under Capt.
Trevor, contributed to check the pursuit; and i t
was observed at the time, and afterwards ascer-
tained to be dorrect, that a chief (Osnlan Khan)
voluntarily halted his followers, who were among
the foremost, and led them off; which may be
reckoned, indeed, the chief reason why all of our
people, who on that day went forth to battle, were
not destroyed. Our loss was tremendous ; the
principal part of the wounded having been left in
the field, including Lieut.-Col. Oliver, where they
were miserably cut to pieces. Our gun and
second limber, which, while endeavouring to gal-
lop down the hill, had overturned on rough ground,
we had the mortification to behold triumphantly
carried off by the enemy.
About half an hour previous to the flight of
our troops, a note had been written to the Assist.-
1 l a A GUN LOST - HOW. [CHAP. IT.
Adjt.-Gen. by Capt. Troup, earnestly requesting
that the Mountain-train gun, which had by that
time been repaired, might be sent out with the
least possible delay ; and the first idea that sug-
gested itself to that officer after our defeat was,
that by quickly bringing this gun to bear upon
the H. A. gun, then in the hands of the enemy,
the latter might still be saved. He therefore
galloped with speed to cantonments, where finding
the Mountain-train gun just ready to start, he
was on the point of leading i t out of the gate,
when his progress was interrupted by the Assist-
Adjt.-Gen., on the plea that i t would now be of
no use. This is the more to be lamented, as, from
the spot occupied by Capt. Trevor's juzailchees,
who, protected by a low wall, still kept up a sharp
and effectual fire on the enemy, the range to the
side of the hill whence the Affghans were en-
deavouring to carry off the captured gun, about
which they clustered in thousands, was so short,
that grape, even from a small caliber, must have
prevented the execution of their intentions. Had
the company of fresh infantry, which was drawn
up outside the gate under conlmand of Lieut.
Alexander, moved forward in company with the
mountain gun to t l ~e support of the above gallant
handful of juzailchees, excellent service might
CHAP. VL] GENERAL OBSERVATIONS. 113
have been rendered. But i t seemed as if we were
under the ban of Heaven.
OBSERVATIONS.
I n this miserable and disastrous affair no less
than six great errors must present themselves,
even to the most unpractised military eye, each
of which contributed in no slight degree to the
defeat of our troops, opposed as they were by
overwhelming numbers.
1st. The first and perhaps most fatal mis-
take of all was the taking out a single gun. The
General Order by the Marquess of Hastings,
expressly forbidding less than two guns to take
the field, under any circumstances or on any
pretence whatever, when another is available,
must be well known at least to every officer
who has served in India. This positive pro-
hibition was the oapri ng of dearly-bought ex-
perience ; and the action of Beymaroo affords
another convincing example of the risk to which
a single gun is exposed, when unsupported by
the fire of a second. I t was certainly the Briga-
dier's intention to take the mountain gun also;
but this had unfortunately been disabled on the
previous day, and it had been twice specially re-
ported, both to the Brigadier and to the General
114 QENERAL OBSERVATIONS. [cap. a
the foregoing night, by Capt. Troup, that i t could
not be got ready before 12 A.M. on the following
day.
2dly. The second error is scarcely less evident
than the first. - Had immediate advantage been
taken of the panic which our unexpected can-
nonade created among the ppssessors of the vil-
lage, -whose slack fire afforded sufficient evidence
of the actual fact that they were not only con-
temptible in numbers, but short of ammunition,
-had, I say, a storming party been led to t he
attack under cover of the darkness, which would
have nullified the advantage they possessed in
being under cover, the place must inevitably have
fallen into our hands, and thus would the principal
object of the sally have been gained, and a good
line of retreat secured for our troops in case of
necessity.
Sdly. The thud error was so manifest as to be
quite unaccountable. A party of 100 sappers
had accompanied the force for the express purpose
of raising a sunga. The fittest place for such a
work would have been half-way along the ridge
occupied by us, where our troops would then have
been wholly protected from the fire of the juzails
from the opposite hiU, while the enemy could not
have advanced to the attack without exposing
themselves to the full effects of our musketry and
CEAP. VI.] GENERAL OBSERVATIONS. 115
grape.
It would, in fact, have infused into our
troops a sense of security from any sudden charge
of the enemy's horse, and at the same time have
enabled our own cavalry to issue forth with the
assurance of having in their rear a place of d e
fence, on which to fall back, if hard pressed by
the enemy. It has been seen that no such defence
was raised.
4thly. All have heard of the British SQUARES at
Vaterloo, which defied the repeated desperate
onsets of Napoleon's choicest cavalry. At Bey-
maroo we formed squares to resist the dietantJire
of infantry, thus presenting a solid mass against
the aim of perhaps the best marksmen in the
world, the said squares being securely perched on
the s-mit of a steep and narrow ridge, up which
no cavalry could charge with effect. A Penin-
sular General would consider this to be a novel
fashion ; yet Brigadier Shelton had the benefit of
Peninsular experience in his younger days, and, it
must be owned, was never surpassed in dauntless
bravery.
Sthly. Our cavalry, instead of being found upon
the plain, where they might have been useful in
protecting our line of communications with the
cantonments, and would have been able to advance
readily to any point where their services might
have been required, were hemmed in between two
116 GENERAL OBSERVATIONS. [CHAP.=
infantry squares, and exposed for several hours to
a destructive fire from the enemy's juzails, on
ground where, even under the most favourable
circumstances, they could not have acted with
effect. This false and unsatisfactory position of
course discouraged the troopers; and, when the
infantry finally gave way, the two arms of the
service became mixed up in a way that greatly
increased the general confusion, and rendered i t
impossible for the infantry to rally, even had they
been so disposed. The truth is, that the cavalry
were not allowed fair play, and such a position
must have disgusted and dispirited any troops.
6thly. Shortly after our regaining possession of
the gun, one of the Brigadier's staff, Capt. Mac-
kenzie, feeling convinced that, from the ' temper
of the troops, and from the impossibility of recti-
fying the false position in which the force was
placed, not only was success beyond hope, but
that defeat in its most disastrous shape was f a t
approaching, proposed to the Brigadier to endea-
vour to effect a retreat, while i t was yet in his
power to do so with comparative impunity. His
reply was, " Oh, no ! we will hold the hill some
time longer." At that time, even if the slaughter
of the soldiery, the loss of officers, the evident
panic in our ranks, and the worse than false
nature of our position, had not been sufficient to
CHAP. a]. GENERAL OBSERVATIONS. 117:
open all eyes as to the impossibility even of par-
tial success, (for the real object of the expedition,
viz. the possession of the village of Beymaroo,
had been, as i t were, abandoned from the very
first,) the weakness and exhaustion of both men
and horses, who were not only worn out by bodily
fatigue, but suffering grievously from extreme
thirst and the debility attendant on long fasting,
ought to have banished all idea of further delay-
ing a movement, in which alone lay the slightest
chance of preserving to their country lives, by the
eventual sacrifice of whicL not even the only so-
lace to the soldier in the hour of misfortune, the
consciousness of unimpaired honour, was likely to
be gained.
OUR PASSIVENESS. [cac~. Vtt
CHAP. VII.
OUB PA-- - CON1PEUBXCES AND NEOOTIATXONS
WITH TEE INSUBBENT CBIEPIL-XAXS OF MAHOYED
SEEBEEP'S POET. - TEBHS AQBEBD ON.
Nooenlber WL- OUR troops had now lost all
confidence ; and even such of the officers as had
hitherto indulged the hope of a favourable turn
in our affairs began at last reluctantly to enter-
tain gloomy forebodings as to our future fate.
Our force resembled a ship in danger of wrecking
among rocks and shoals, for want of an able pilot
to guide i t safely through them. Even now, at
the eleventh hour, had the helm of affairs been
gasped by a band competent to the important
task, we might perhaps have steered clear. of de-
struction ; but,in the absence of any such deliverer,
i t was but too evident that Heaven alone couId
save us by some unforeseen interposition. The
spirit of the men was gone ; the influence of the
officers over them declined daily ; and that boasted
discipline, which alone renders a handful of our
troops superior to an irregular multitude, began
fast to disappear from among us. The enemy, on
the other hand, waxed bolder every day and every
daap.vn] OUR PASSIVENESS. 119
hour, nor was i t long ere we got accustomed to
be bearded with impunity from under the very
ramparts of our garrison.
Thave already mentioned the new bridge thrown
over the river by Gen. Elphinstone: this the
enemy, advancing up the bed of the river under
cover of the bank, to-day began to demolish. I
must do Brigadier Shelton the justice to say that
he, seeing the vast importance of the bridge i n
case of a retreat (an alternative of which he never
lost sight), had strongly urged the erection of a
field-work for its protection ; in fact; there was a
small unfinished fort near at hand, which one
night's work of the sappers would have rendered
fit for the purpose, and a sniall detachment thrown
into i t would have perfectly commanded the
bridge. But madness was equally apparent in a11
that was done or left undone: even this simple
precaution was neglected, and the result will be
seen in the sequel.
Capt. Conolly now wrote in from the Bala Hissar,
strongly advising an immediate retreat thither, on
whicli movement several of the chief military
and all the political officers considered our only
hope of holding out through the winter to de-
pend. nut the old objections were still urged
against the measure by Brigadier Shelton and
others ; and the General, in a letter this day ad-
1%) QUESTION OF RETREAT. [CHAP.-
dressed to the Envoy, expressed his opinion that
the movement, if not altogether impossible,
would be attended with great di5culty, encum-
bered as we should be with'numerous sick and
wounded. The enemy would doubtless oppose us
with their whole force, and the greater part of the
troops would be required to cover the operation,
thus leaving the cantonments imperfectly de-
fended; that the men were harassed, dispirited,
and greatly reduced i n numbers; and failure
would be attended with certain destruction to the
whole force. To remove the ammunition and
stores would be the work of several days, during
which the enemy would hover around, and offer
every obstacle to our operations. Our wounded
were increased, whilst our means of conveying
them were diminished. Would the Bala Hissar
hold the force with all the followers ? Water was
already said to be selling there at a high price.
We had barely twenty days' supply of provisions
in the cantonments; and, even supposing we
could find means to carry i t with us, there was xio
prospect of obtaining more in the Bala Hissar.
A retreat thence would be worse than from our
preeent position, after having abandoned our
cattle; and the sick and wounded must be left
* This report was entirely untrue.
CHAP. nI.1 TO BALA HISSAR. 121
behind us." In these opinions Brigadier Shelton
entirely concurred. An appalling list of ob-
jections, i t must be confessed, but insuEcient to
shake my belief that a removal of the force into
the Bala Hissar was not, only practicable but
necessary for our safety and honour; while the
risks attending it, though formidable, were only
such as we ought, as soldiers, to have unhesi-
tatingly incurred. Shah Shoojah had moreover
declared himself impatient to receive us ; and,
even had the dreaded ruin overwhelmed us in the
attempt, would i t not have been a more manly
and honourable course, than the inglorious treaty
we shortly afterwards entered into with a trea-
cherous band of rebels, by which we deserted the
sovereign whom it was our duty to protect to the
last drop of our blood ? Had we boldly sallied
forth, preferring death to dishonour, would not
the fate of our poor fellows have been an hundred-
fold happier than that they subsequently ex-
perienced in their miserable retreat, inasmuch as
they would have died in the consciousness of
having bravely done their dut y? Never were
troops exposed to greater hardships and dangers ;
jet, sad to say, never did soldiers shed their blood
with less beneficial result than during the invest-
ment of the British lines at Cabul. While, there-
fore, justice is done to the memory of the dead,
Q
and those, who encountered a thousand perils i n
the brave and skilful performance of their duty,
must be held up to that honour which is their
due - while the tear of pity may well be shed
at their untimely fate the blame and discredit
also must be theirs, who rendered nugatory all the
oblations of blood that were offered, a l l the ad-
vantages that were gained, and finally involved a
still formidable force in ruin and disgrace. But
to return to my narrative.
A letter to the address of the Envoy was this
day received from Osman Khan *, Barukzye, a
near relative of the new King, and generally sup-
posed to have a favourable bearing towards us,
wherein he took credit to himself for having
"checked the ardour of his followers in their
pursuit of our flying troops on the preceding day,
when, by following up their success, the loss of
our cantonments and the destruction of our force
was inevitable; but that i t was not the wish of
the chiefs to proceed to such dreadful extremities,
their sole desire being that we should quietly
evacuate the country, leaving them to govern i t
according to their own rules, and with a king of
their own choosing." On the receipt of this
friendly communication, the Envoy requested the
* This chief had sheltered Capt. Drummond in his own
house since the first day of the outbreak.
I
General to state his opinion regarding the pos-
sibility, in a military point of view, of retaining
our position in the cantonments ; as, in case of a
negative reply, he might be able to enter into
negotiations with the existing rulers of the
country.
The General replied to the effect that " we
had now been in a state of siege for three
weeks ; our provisions were, nearly expended,
and our forage entirely consumed, without the
prospect of procuring a fresh supply; that our
.troops were much reduced by casualties, and the
large number of sick and wounded increased
almost daily ; and that, considering the difficulty
of defending the extensive and ill-situated can-
tonment, the near approach of winter, the fact of
our communications being cut off, and that we
had no prospect of reinforcement, with the whole
country in arms against us, he did not think i t
possible to retain our present position in the
country, and therefore thought the Envoy ought
to avail himself of the offer to negotiate, which
had been made him."
November 27th.- Nothing else of consequence
.took place until this morning, when two deputies
from the assembled chiefs, having made their
.appeat.ance at the bridge, were ushered into can-
tonments by Capts. Lawrence and Trevor, the
o 2
Envoy having agreed to confer with them, on
.
condition that nothing should be proposed which
it would be derogatory in him to consider. The
interview took place in the officers' guard-room
at the eastern gate ; the exact particulars did not
transpire, but the demands made by the chiefs
were such as i t was impossible to comply with,
and the deputies took leave of the Envoy with
the exclamation that " we should meet again in
battle !" ." We shall at all events meet," replied
Sir William, " at the day of judgment." At night
the Envoy received a letter from the chiefs, pro-
posing terms of so disgraceful and insulting a
nature as seemed at once to preclude all hope of
terminating our difficulties by treaty. The tenor
of them was as follows: " That we should deliver
up Shah Shoojah and his whole family ; lay down
our arms ; and make an unconditional surrender ;
when they might perhaps be induced to spare our
lives, and allow us to leave the country on: con-
dition of never returning." The Envoy's reply
was juch as well became the representative of his
country's honour. "He was astonished," he said,
ccat their departing from that good faith for which
he had given them credit, by violating the con-
ditions on which he had been led to entertain
proposals for a pacific arrangement ; that the
terms they proposed were toa dishonourable to
CZXAP. vl z] WITH THE INSURGENT CHIEFS. 125
be entertained for a moment; and that, if they
persisted in them, he must again appeal to arms,
leaving the result to the God of battles."
December 1st. -No active renewal of hostilities
took place until to-day, when a desperate effort
was made by the enemy to gain possession of the
Bala Hissar, which they endeavoured to effect by
a night attack, in the first instance, on the
Bourge-Clakh, an isolated tower forming an out-
work to the fortress, and from its elevated posi-
tion commanding almost the entire works. This
point was, however, strongly reinforced without
delay by Major Ewart, commanding the garrisoli,
and notwithstanding the determined spirit ex-
hibited by the enemy, who made repeated charges
up the hill, they were repulsed with considerable
slaughter.
December 4th. -At an early hour the enemy
moved out in force from the city, and, having
crowned the Beymaroo hills, posted two guns in
the gorge, from which they maintained a tolerably
brisk fire for several hours into the cantonments,
effecting fortunately but little mischief; in the
evening they, as usual, retired to their respective
haunts. During the night a rush was suddenly
made by a party of Mghans to the gate of Ma-
homed Shereeff s fort, garrisoned by our troops,
which they attempted, in imitation of our own
0 3
126 DESTRUCTION OF OUR BRIDGE. [ C H A P . ~
method at the taking of Ghuznee, to bl ow open
with powder bags, but without success.
December 5th.- This day the enemy completed
the destruction of our bridge over the river,
which they commenced on the 24th ult., no
precaution having been taken to prevent the
evil. Day after day we quietly looked on with-
out an effort to save it, orders being in vai n soli-
ci t ed by various officers for preventive measures
to be adopted. I n consequence of the enemy
having commenced mining one of the towers of
Mahonled Shereeffs fort, the garrison was re-
inforced, and Lieut. Sturt succeeded during the
night in destroying the mine. This, however,
could only be effected at the expense of opening
a passage under the walls, which i t became neces-
sary to barricade ; and although this measure of
precaution was efficiently executed, such was the
nervous state of the party composing the garrison,
that no reliance could be laced on their stability
in case of an attack.
December 6th. -The garrison of Mahomed
Shereeff s fort was relieved at a n early hour by one
company of H. M.'s Mth, under Lieut. Grey, and 1
one company 37th N. I. under Lieut. Hawtrey, an 1
amply sufficient force for the defence of the place
against any sudden oilset ; but, unhappily, the fears
of the old garrison were communicated to the new,
I
and, owing to the representations of Lieut. Haw.
trey, the defences were minutely examined by
Lieut. Sturt, the garrison engineer, and by him
pronounced to be complete. Scarcely, however, had
that officer returned to cantonments, ere inform-
ation was conveyed to the General that the de-
tachment, having been seized with a panic, had
taken fi ght over the walls, and abandoned the
fort to the enemy. I t would appear that a small
party of juzailcheeq having crept up to the un-
dermined tower under cover of the trees in the
Shah Bagh, had fired upon the garrison through
the barricaded breach which I have above de-
scribed, unfortunately wounding Lieut. Grey,
upon whose departure for medical aid the Enro-
peans, deprived of their officer, lost what little
confidence they Lad before possessed, and, col-
lecting their bedding under the walls, betrayed
symptoms of an intention to retreat. The enemy
meanwhile, emboldened by the slackened fire of
the defenders, approached momentarily nearer to
the walls, and, making a sudden rush to the barri-
cade, completed the panic of the garrison, who
now made their escape over the walls in the
greatest consternation, deaf to the indignant re-
monstrances of their gallant commander, who in
vain entreated them not to disgrace themselves
and him by such cowardly proceedings. Even
G 4
128 FACTS CONNECTED [cw. Va
the Sepoys, who at first remained staunch, con-
taminated by the bad example set t hem by their
European brethren, I-efused to rally ; and Lieut.
Hawtrey, finding himself deserted by all, was
obliged reluctantly to follow, being the last to
leave the fort. I t is, however, worthy of men-
tion, that two Sepoys of the 37th N. I. wer e left
dead in the fort, and two others were wounded,
while not a man of the 44th was touched, ex-
cepting one whose band suffered from the acci-
dental explosion of a grenade.
The enemy, though at h t few in numbers,
were not slow to avail themselves of the advantage
afforded them by this miserable conduct of our
troops, and their banner was soon planted in tri-
umph on the walls, amidst the exulting shouts of
hundreds. Much recrimination took place be-
tween the Europeans and the Sepoys engaged i n
this affair, each declaring the other had been the
first to run; and a court of inquiry was assembled
to investigate the matter, the result of which,
though never entirely divulged, was generally sup-
posed to be favourable to the Sepoys, it being a
known fact, that the Europeans had brought off
newly all their bedding safe, whilst the Sepoys had
left everything behind. At all events, a circum-
stance soon occurred, which abundantly testified the
impression made on those in command. At this
CHAP. VII.] WITH ITS LOSS. 129
t i me the bazar village was garrisoned by a party
of H. M.'s 14th, who, 011 observing the t i i ht of
t he soldiers from Mahomed Shereeff's fort, were
-actually on the point of abandoning their own
post, when they were observed and stopped by
some officers, of whom one was Lieut. White, the
adjutant of the regiment ; but so little dependence
could now be placed on their stability, that a
guard from the 37th N. I. was stationed at the
entrance of the bazar, with strict orders to pre-
vent the exit of any Europeans on duty in the
place.
December 7th. - The European garrison was
this day withdrawn from the bazar, and a com-
pany of the 37th N. I. substituted in their room !
This, being the weakest point of our defences,
had hitherto been protected entirely by parties
of H. M.'s 44th, which post of honour they were
now considered unworthy to retain.
I may here be excused for offering a few brief
remarks.
I n the course of this narrative, I have been
compelled by stern truth to note down facts
nearly affecting the honour and interests of a
British regiment. It may, or rather I fear it
must, inevitably happen that my unreserved 8tate-
ments of the Cabul occurrences will prove un-
acceptable to many, whose private or public feel-
a 5
130 GEXERAL OBSERVATIONS. C - . .vn.
ings are interested in glossing over or suppressing
the numerous errors committed and censures
deservedly incurred. But my heart tells me that
no paltry motives of rivalry or malice influence
my pen; rather a sincere and honest desire to
benefit the public service, by pointing out the
rocks on which our reputation was wrecked, the
means by which our honour was sullied and our
Indian empire endangered, as a warning to future
actors in similar scenes. I n a word, I biieve that
more good is likely to ensue from the publication
of the whole unmitigated truth, than from a mere
garbled statement of it. A kingdom has been
lost -an army slain;-and surely, if I can show
that, had we been but true to ourselves, and had
vigorous measures been adopted, the result might
have been widely different, I shall have written
an instructive lesson to rulers and subjects, to
generals and armies, and shall not have incurred
in vain the disapprobation of the self-interested
or the proud. I t is notorious that the 44th foot
had been for a long time previous to these occur-
rences in a state of woful deterioration. I firmly
believe that in this, and in every other respect, they
stood aloneas a regiment of that noble army whose
glorious deeds in all quarters of the globe have
formed, with those of the British navy, the founda-
tion of our national pride, and have supplied for
CHAP. VII.] SIIPPLIES FROM BALA HISSAR. 131
ages to come a theme of wonder and admiration.
The regiment in question fell a prey to a vital
disease, which the Horse Guards alone could have
remedied, and which is now beyond the reach of
proper investigation. May a redeeming glory and
renown rise fiom its ashes !
The alarming discovery having been made that
our supply of provisions had been materially
overrated, and that not even a sufficiency for one
day remained in store, Capt. Hay was despatched
with a convoy of military stores into the Bala
Hissar, with orders to bring back the animals
laden with grain. He started se~eral hours be-
fore daybreak, but on reaching the Seeah Sung
hill, a few straggling shots being fired upon his
rear, the men riding the ladell yahoos (Affghan
ponies) were panic-stricken, and, hastily casting
the loads to the ground, galloped for safety to
the front. Much private property was lost at the
same time, for, notwithstanding all the opposi-
tion that had been made to the proposal of a
retreat to the Bala Hissar, the General in some
degree deferred to the opinions of those who fa-
voured the movement, by adopting the half-mea-
eure of sending in magazine supplies from time
to time by driblets. This led many to suppose
that the whole force would sooner or later retreat
thither, and accordingly advantage was taken of
a G
184 CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN [CHAP. VXL
every opportunity to send in a few private neces-
saries in advance. On this occasiox~ the attempt
failed in the manner I have above related; but
Capt. Hay nevertheless accomplished the primary
object of his journey, by bringing back as much
provisions as could b e collected on & short a
notice.
December 8th. -The Envoy, having addressed
a public letter to the General, requested him to
state " whether or not i t was his opinion that
any further attempt to hold' out against the
enemy would merely have the effect of sacrificing
both His Majesty Shah Shoojah and ourselves; and
whether, supposing this to be so, the only alter-
native left was not to negotiate for our safe re-
treat out of the country, on the most favourable
terms possible ? ". The General, in reply, stated
his conviction that " the present situation of the
troops was such, from the want of provisions and
the impracticability of procuring more, that no
time ought to be lost in entering into negotia-
tions for a safe retreat from the country : That,
as regarded the troops at Candahar, and the
rumours of their approach to our assistance, he
would be sorry, in the absence of all authentic
information, to risk the sacrifice of the troops by
waiting for their arrival, when we were ignorant
even of their having commenced their march, and
C-. VIL] ENVOY AND GENERAL. 133
were reduced to three days' supply of provisions
for our Sepoys at half rations, and almost with-
out any forage for our horses and cattle: That
our number of sick and wounded in hospital ex-
ceeded 600, and our means for their transport were
far from adequate, owing to the death by starva-
tion of so many of our camels, from which cause
also we should be obliged, at this inclement sea-
son, to leave their tents and bedding behind, with
such a march before us : That, as regarded the
King, he must be excused from entering upon
that point of the Envoy's letter, and leave its
consideration to his better knowledge and judg-
ment; but he might be allowed to say that i t
little became him, as commanding the British
troops in Affghanistan, to regard the necessity
of negotiation in any other light than as con-
cerned their honour and welfare, for both of which
he should be answerable, by a further stay
here, after the sudden and universal rebellion
against His Majesty's authority which had taken
place throughout his dominions: That the
whole of the grain and forage in the vicinity was
exhausted, and the defence of the extensive and
ill-selected cantonment would not admit of dis-
tant expeditions, to obtain supplies from the
strongly fortified dwellings of an armed and hos-
tile population; our present numbers being in-
134 KHOJA RUWASH FORT. [CHAP. vn.
sufficient for its defence, and obliging the whole
of the troops to be almost constantly under arms.
I n conclusion, he could only repeat his opinion
that the Envoy should lose no time in entering
into negotiations." This letter was counter-
signed by Brigadiers Shelton and Anquetil, and
Colonel Chambers, who entirely concurred in the
opinions i t expressed. Meanwhile starvation
stared us in the face, and i t became necessary to
adopt immediate measures for obtaining a further
supply of provisions. A consultation was ac-
cordingly held with this object at the General's
house, and i t was determined that an attack
should be made on the neighbouring fort of
Khoja Ruwash at an early hour the following
morning.
December 9th. - The morning dawned, but no
signs of preparation appeared for the proposed
enterprise ; no bridge was laid down for the pas-
sage of the guns and cavalry ; no troops were in
readiness to march; and i t was plain that either
no orders had been given, or no attention had
been paid to them. Thus, notwithstanding the
importance of its object, the expeditionwas suffered
to die a natural death. .
Upon this subject I shall only remark that
Brigadier Shelton commanded the garrison, and
that with him the necessary arrangements rested.
CHAP. vn.] ISCREASED DISTRESS. 135
Intelligence having been this day received of
a decisive victory gained over the enemy by Gen.
Sale at Jellalabad, the Envoy conceived i t might
have the effect of modifying the General's opinion,
regarding the immediate necessity of negotiating
with the rebel chief$, and addressed him a letter
on the subject. The General, however, declared
i n reply, that, pleasing as the intelligence was, i t
could not in the slightest degree influence our
position, so 'as to affect the expediency of our
treating; .in forming which opinion he was much
influenced by the joint representations that had
been just made to him by Capts. Boyd and John-
son, the respective heads of the Company's and
Shah's commissariat, wherein they declared their
utter inability to procure grain or forage within
three or four miles, and that, although three days'
supply of atta (ground wheat) might still be pro-
curable from the Bala Hissar, yet emry additional
day's delay now crippled the cattle more and
more, and rendered our position more perilous.
Notwithstanding these apparently conclusive argu-
ments, there existed strong grounds for believing
that the Bala Hissar contained a much larger
supply of provisions than was generally supposed.
December 10th. - Another convoy of military
stores was despatched to the Bala Hissar this
morning under command of Lieut. Le Geyt, by
136 CONFERENCE [CEO. vn-
whom a further supply of atta was brought back
in return.
December 1 lth. - The rebel chiefs having ma-
nifested an inclination to treat, the Envoy, ac-
companied by Capts. Lawrence, Mackenzie, and
Trevor, went out to meet them on the plain to-
wards Seah Sung. There were present Mahomed
Akber Khan, Osman Khan, Mahomed Khan
Naih Ameer (commonly called Naib Ameer),
Barukzyes ; - Mahomed Shah Khan, Humza
Khan, Khooda Bux Khan, Giljyes ; - Juayut
00101 Khan, Populzye ; - Khan Shereen Khan,
Kuzzilbasli ; - and several others of inferior
note, but all heads of tribes. After the ex-
change of salutations, Sir William addressed
the assembled Khans, alluding to past times,
during which relations of perfect cordiality and
friendship had existed between them and the
English. He greatly lamented that feelings of
so pleasant and mutually beneficial a nature
should have been thus rudely interrupted; but
professed himself wholly ignorant of the causes of
such interruption. He proceeded to state that
sentiments of good-will towards the Mghan
nation had principally induced the British go-
'
vernme'nt to lend their aid, in restoring to the
seat of his ancestors a king, who, notwithstanding
his misfortunes, originating in causes to which he
CHAP. -] WITH THE REBEL CHIEFS. 137
would not then allude, had ever reigned in the
hearts of the mass of his people ; that the restora-
tion of their monarch had apparently given the
utmost satisfaction to all classes throughout his
dominions. If, however, that satisfaction had
passed away, and given place to emotions of a
wholly contrary nature (and he supposed that the
assembled Sirdars and Khans might be considered
the mouth-piece of the people), i t no longer
became the British Government to persist in a
course so displeasing to those chiefly interested in
the result. On this account he was willing to
enter into negotiations, for the smoothing over of
present difficulties, and for the adopting of such
measures as were likely to be the most conducive
towards the re-establishment of that mutual
friendship between the British and AfTghan go-
vernments, the maintenance of which, he felt
assured, must be earnestly desired by both parties.
- To all these propositions Mahomed Akber
Khan and Osman Khan, as the principal per-
sonages present, expressed, with the hearty con-
currence of the inferior chiefs, their entire assent,
adding many expressions of their personal esteem
for the Envoy himself, and their gratitude for the
way in which the exiled Ameer had been used.
The Envoy then requested permission to read to
them a paper containing a general sketch of the
138 TERMS PROPOSED. ~ C H U . a
proposed treaty. This being agreed to, the
articles of the treaty were read and discussed.
Their general purport was to the effect-That the
British should evacuate Affghanistan, including
Candahar, Ghuznee, Cabul, Jellalabad, and all
the other stations absolutely within the limits of
the country so called; - that they should be
permitted to return not only un~nolested to Inrlia,
but that supplies of every description should be
afforded them in their road thither, certain men
of consequence accompanying them as l~ostages ;
-that the Ameer Dost Mahomed Khan, his
family, and every Affghan now in exile for po-
litical offences, should be allowed to return to
their country ; - that Shah Shoojah and his
family should be allowed the option of remaining
at Cabul or proceeding with the British troops
to Loodiana, in either case receiving from the
Affghan government a pension of one lac of
rupees pel: annum; - that means of transport for
the conveyance of our baggage, stores, &c.,
including that required by the royal family, in
case of their adopting the latter alternative, should
be furnished by the existing Affghan govern-
ment; - that an amnesty should be granted to
all those who had made themselves obnoxious on
account of their attachment to Shah Shoojah
and his allies, the British ; - that all prisoners
c w . VIL] TERMS AGREED ON. 139
should be released ; -that no British force should
be ever again sent into AfTghanistan, unless called
for by the Mghan government, between whom
and the British nation perpetual friendship
should be established on the sure foundation of
mutual good offices.
To all these terms the chiefs cordially agreed,
with the exception of Mahomed Akber, who
cavilled at several, especially that of the amnesty,
butwas over-ruled by his coadjutors. He positivelj-
refused to permit the garrison to be supplied with
provisions until i t had quitted cantonments, which
movement he clamorously demanded should take
place the following morning. His violence caused
some confusion; but the more temperate of his
party having interfered, it was finally agreed that
our evacuation of the cantonments should take
place in three days - that provisions should be
supplied - and that to all the above-mentioned
articles of this new treaty a formal assent in writ-
ing should be sent, with all the usual forms of a
restored peace. The chiefs, on returning to the
city, took with them %apt. Trevor as a hostage
for the sincerity of the Envoy. During the whole
of this interview, which took place not far from
the bottom of the Seeah Sung hills, great anxiety
was felt in the cantonments from the apparent
danger tp which the Envoy was exposed, -he
being accompanied only by a few troopers of the
body-guard,-and from the circumstance of large
bodies of the enemy's horse and foot being seen
to pass towards the scene of conference from the
city, their leaders evidently with much difficulty
restraining their advance beyond a certain point.
Sir William, however, although not unaware of
the perfidious nature of those he had to deal with,
nor insensible to the risk he ran, (a shot in fact,
from the fanatic multitude, having whistled over
the heads of the gentlemen in attendance on him,
as they advanced towards the rendezvous,) wisely
imagined that a display of confidence was the best
mode of begetting good faith. I t is, however,
pretty certain that the tumultuary movements of
the Affghan troops, whose presence was in direct
violation of the stipulations under which the con-
ference was held, were not without their cause, i t
having been the earnest desire of Mahomed
Akber to seize upon the Envoy's person at that
very meeting, from which step he was with diffi-
culty restrained by the other Khans. But no
sense of personal danger could have deterred a
man of Sir William's truly chivalrous and un-
daunted character from the performance of any
duty, private or public.
Would that he had been more alive to the
apprehensions which influenced common men!
CUP. vn.] CONCLUDING REMARLS. 141
We might not then have to mourn over the un-
timely fate of one, whose memory must be ever
cherished in the hearts of all who knew and were
capable of appreciating him, notwithstanding the
disastrous termination of his political career, as
that of a good, and, in many essential points, a
great man.
REVIEW OF THE
CHAP. VIII.
PRRPARATIONB FOR EVAOUAT1NO.-YORR CONPERENCEs-
XORM DELAY& - MOBP DIFPI(1ULTIES. - MABOXED AX-
BU'B PLOT AGAXNBT THE BNVOY. - FIIB YUBDEU.
December 12th. - IT is undeniable t hat Sir
William Macnaghten was forced into this t r eav
with men whose power he despised, and whose
treachery was proverbial, against his own judg-
ment, by the pressing representations of our
military heads. I t is no less true that, whatever
may have been his political remissness or want of
foresight before the rebellion broke out, he had,
throughout the perils that afterwards beset us,
displayed a truly British spirit of unflinching
fortitude and indefatigable energy, calculated,
under more auspicious leaders, to have stimulated
the zeal and valour of the troops, and to have
cheered them undet the trials and hardships they
were called on to endure ; and I can safely add,
without fear of contradiction, that scarcely an
enterprise was undertaken throughout the siege,
but at the suggestion, and even the entreaties, of
the Envoy, he volunteering to take on himself
the entire responsibility. Justice demands this
c E A P . v ~ . ] CONDUCT OF THE ENVOY. 148
tribute to the memory of one, whose acts, as they
will assuredly undergo the severe scrutiny of his
countrymen, i t therefore becomes the duty of
every eye-witness, who bears testimony on the
subject, not only to shield from misrepresentation,
but, where they are deserving of it, to hold up to
public admiration. I am led to write this solely
by my public knowledge of the man. If I could
bring myself, on matters of such vital importance,
to follow the dictates of mere private feeling, my
bias would be altogether on the side of my late
lamented military chief, who honoured me with
his friendship, and for whose infirmities every
allowance ought, in common justice, to be made.
Wi t h a mind and talents of no ordinary stamp,
and a hitherto unsullied fame, he committed the
fatal error of transporting himself suddenly from
a state of prolonged luxurious repose,'at an ad-
vanced age, to undertake the fatigues and cares
inseparable from high military command, in a
foreign uncongenial climate; he thus not only .
ruined his already shattered health, but (which to
a soldier was a far worse calamitj) grievously
damaged that high reputation which his early per-
vices had secured for him. His fate ought to serve
as a warning to others of his class, who, priding
themselves on a Peninsular fame of some thirty
years' standing, are too apt to forget the inroads
144 PREPARATIONS FOR EVACUATING. [CHAP. FIEL
that time may have meanwhile made on mind and
body; and who would do well t o bear i n remem-
brance that, of two of the most iron intellects of
their day- one of them was even t he greatest
general of his age-it was written with too much
truth,-
" From Marlboro~gh'r eyes the tears of dotage flow,
And Swi i expires a driveller and a show."
-The terms of the new treaty were immediately
made known to Shah Shoojah, by which that un-
fortunate monarch found himself once more
doomed to an old age of exile and degradation.
The fint step towards its fulfilment was the
withdrawal of our troops from the Bala Hissar,
which was to have taken place this very day, but
was postponed for a short time longer, to admit of
the necessary preparations being made. A depu-
tation of chiefs had an interview in the close of
the day, who were the bearers of a most unex-
pected proposition, to the effect that Shah Shoo-
jah should continue king, on condition of inter-
marrying his daughters with the leading AfFghan
chiefi, and abandoning the offensive practice of
keeping the chief nobles of his kingdom wait-
ing for hours at his gate, in expectation of
audience. The Affghans hate ceremony, which
Shah Shoojah carried at all times to an absurd
CHAP. vnr.] RELAXED DISCIPLINE. 145
extent ; hence much of his unpopularity. This
arrangement was not intended to annul those
parts of the treaty which related to our immediate
evacuation of the country, for the fulfilment of
which some married families were demanded as
hostages.
Decenaber 13th. - Such was the inveterate
pride of the King, that he yielded a most reluctant
consent to the above-mentioned proposals, not-
withstanding that the only alternative was the-
instant resignation of his kingdom. Little con-
fidence was, however, placed by the Envoy in the
sincerity of the chiefs, whose hatred of the Dora-
nee ruler was notorious. As our retreat was now
fully decided on, and our well-stocked magazine
was shortly to fall a prey to our enemies, the
General ordered that some ammunition should be
distributed to certain of the camp-followers; and
commandillg officers were directed to indent for
new arms and accoutrements, in exchange for
such as were old and damaged. The reins of
discipline had, however, by this time become so
terribly relaxed, and so little attention was paid
to superior orders by either officers or men, that
many of the officers in command of companies
rested content with sending their men to the
magazine, to help themselves at will, the stores
being unfortunately, in the absence of any
H
146 EVACUATION COMMENCED. [CHAP. m
finished building for their reception, arranged
under the trees of an orchard, in charge of a
small guard. The consequence was, as might
have been expected, a scene of disgraceful confu-
sion and plunder, which was rendered worse by a
rush of camp-followers, who, imagining that a
licence had been given for every one to take
whatever he pleased, flocked in hundreds to the
spot, and terribly increased the tumult ; insomuch
that the authority of several officers, who, ob-
serving what was going on, exerted themselves
to restore order, was for several minutes set at
open defiance. At last, however, the place was
cleared of the intruders, and the greater portion
of the stolen articles was recovered the same
evening. But this event may be taken as an in-
stance of the unsteadiness of the troops, and of
the recklessness that now began to extend itself
amongst all ranks of the force.
At 2 P. M. the troops in the Bala Hissar, con-
sisting of the 54th N. I., half of Capt. Nicholl's
troop of horse artillery, and a detachment of the
mountain train, with 2 howitzers, under Lieut.
Green, commenced their evacuation of that for-
tress. They were also encumbered with an iron
nine-pounder gun, and a twenty-four pounder brass
howitzer, drawn by bullocks, which i t was the
General's wish should have been left behind, but
CHAP. vm.] SYIIPTOMS OF TREACHERY. 1.17
his order to that effect had by some accident
missed its destination. As the utmost scarcity of
provisions prevailed in cantonments, Capt. Kirby,
the commissariat oflicer, had zealously exerted
himself to collect a supply of about 1600 maunds
of wheat and flour to carry thither. Much delay,
however, occurred in packing and loading ; and,
the best part of the day being nearly spent ere
above one third of that quantity was ready, Major
Ewart deemed i t advisable to move off without
further loss of time. He found Mahoxned Akber
Khan in waiting with a small body of followers
outside the gate, for the purpose of escorting him
to cantonments ; and, as evening drew nigh, a
dense crowd of armed Affghans had been observed
to collect on the Seah Sung hill, along the base
of which our troops must pass, giving rise to sus-
picions of some meditated treachery. While the
rear-guard, with the mountain train gun and a
portion of the baggage, was leaving the gate, some
of Mahomed Akber's followers, pushing quietly
past them, endeavoured to effect an entrance into
the fort; but on their being recognized by the
king's guard, the gates were immediately shut,
and a round or two of grape fired upon the
intruders, with so indiscriminate an aim as to
endanger the lives of Capt. Conolly and several of
H 2
144 WILES OF MAHOMED AKBER. [ ~ ~ &~ . r r n .
tlie Sepoys, df whom some were aeverely wounded.
I t can scarcely be doubted that Mahomed Akber's
intention was to have seized the gate with a few
of his men, until a rush of the Affghans f r om the
hill sllould have enabled him to carry the body of
the place by storm. The vigilance of the garrison
having defeated this plan, the wily chief, imagining
that the gates would again be opened to re-admit
our troops, informed Major Ewart that, owing to
the lateness of the hour and the threatening atti-
tude assumed by the crowd on the hill, i t would
be necessary to postpone his march until t he
following morning. I n consequence of this sudden
ill-timed announcement, Major Ewart applied t o
the King for the immediate readmission of his
troops for shelter during the night; but the
monarch, whose suspicions of foul play on the
part of Mahomed Akber were now fully awakened,
positively refused to accede to the request. The
prospect of passing the night in the low marshy
ground under the walls, without tents, bedding,
firewood, or food, for officers or men, was s&-
ciently cheerless; while the fear of treachery on
the part of Mahomed Akber, and the dangerous
vicinity of an armed multitude, whose watch-fires
already gleamed on the adjacent hills, tended but
little to relieve the discomforts s f such a situation.
The cold was intensely bitter, and perhaps so
CEAP. VIE] MARCH FROM BALA HISSAR. 149
miserable a night had never before been speat by
Indian troops.
December 14th. - At an early hour this morn-
ing, Mahomed Akber having declared his readi-
ness to proceed, the troops commenced their
march. The advance-guard was suffered to pro-
ceed unmolested ; but the rear-guard, on reaching
the base of the Seah Sung hill, was fired upon by
the enemy, who crowned the ridge ; and the iron
nine-pounder being for a few moments acci-
dentally separated from the column in crossing a
water-cut, an instantaneous rush was made upon
i t by a number of Mghans, and a poor sick Eu-
ropean artillery-man, who, for want of a more
suitable conveyance, had been lashed to the gun,
was unmercifully butchered. The approach of
the rear-guard, and a round or two of grape from
the mountain train howitzer, drove off the assail-
ants ; and they were restrained from offering any
additional annoyance by the exertions of Maho-
med Akber himself, who, galloping in amongst
them with a few followers, threatened to cut down
any who dared to be guilty of further opposition
to the progress of the detachment, which accord-
ingly reached cantonments safe at about 9 A. M.
December 16th. - Shah Shoojah having, for
reasons best known to himself, withdrawn his
consent to the arrangement which was to have
H 3
150 THE PORTS SURRERDERED. [m-nn
contf nued him in the possesion of his rights, the
treaty resumed its original form; bat the el&&
positively refused to supply provisions or forage,
until we should further assure them of om sia
cerity by giving up every fort in the immediate
vicinity of cantonments. Forage had for mamy
days been so scarce, that the horses and cattle
were kept alive by paring off the bark of trees,
and by eating their own dung over and over again,
which was regularly collected and spread before
them. The camp-followers were destitute of other
food than the flesh of animals, which expired daily
from starvation and cold. The daily consumption
of atta by the fighting men was about 150 mannds,
and not above two days' supply remained in store.
By giving up the forts in question, all of which
commanded the cantonment, we shou!d plzce onr-
selves entirely at the mercy of the enemy, who
could at any time render our position untenable.
Uut our leaders now seemed to consider that we
had no other chalice left than to concede to the
demands of the chiefs, however unreasonable ; and
our troops were accordingly withdrawn from the
Rikabashee, Magazine, and Zoolfekar's forts, and
from the Idusjeed opposite the western gate, all
of which were forthwith occupied by the Aff-
ghans, who, on their part, sent in Nussuroollah
Khan, a brother of Nuwab Zuman Khan, as a
CHAP.VIIL] PALL OF SNOW. 151
hostage, and a supply of about 150 maunds of
atta for tlie troops. They likewise promised us
ROO0 camels and 440 yaboos for the march to
Jellalabad.
December 18th. - The delay of the chiefs in
furnishing the necessary carriage, and the Shah's
dilatoriness in deciding on his future course, com-
pelled us from day to day to postpone our de-
parture. Meanwhile the increasing severity of
the winter rendered every hour's procrastination
of the utmost consequence; and this morning our
situation was rendered more desperate than ever
by a heavy fall of snow, which covered the ground
to the depth of five inches, and never afterwards
disappeared. Thus a new enemy entered on the
scene, which we were destined to find even more
formidable than an army of rebels.
December 19th. - The Envoy wrote an order
for the evacuation of Ghuznee, and it was ar-
ranged that the 27th N. I., which garrisoned the
place, should march through the Zoormut valley,
and pursue the route of Dera Ishmael Klian.
The R2d was fixed for our departure.
December 20th. - The Envoy had an interview
with the chiefi, who now demanded t hi t a portioli
of our guns and ammunition should be imme-
diately given up. They also required Brigadier
Shelton as a hostage. I t was proposed by Lieut.
H 4
152 HOSTAGES GIVEN. [CHAP. P?IL
Sturt to the General t o break off the treaty, and
march forthwith to. Jellalabad, devoting all the
means of transport we possessed to the service of
the sick, and the conveyance of such public stores
as were absolutely necessary. But neither the
General nor his immediate advisers could bring
themselves to adopt a course which would have
saved the national honour, at the risk of sacrificing
our whole force.
I t has been truly said that a council of war
never fights.-A door of hope had, until this day,
still remained open to us in the approach of Col.
Maclaren's force to our assistance from Candahar ;
we now heard with despair of its retreat from
Tazee, in consequence of the snow.
December Blst. - The Envoy met Osman Khan
and Mahomed Akber Khan on the p!aiu, when
four hostages were fixed upon, two of whom
(Capts. Conolly and Airey) were at once given
over. Brigadier Shelton, having expressed a de-
cided objection to undertake the duty, was not
insisted upon. In the evening Capts. Trevor and
Drummond were permitted to return to canton-
ments, the latter officer having been concealed in
the city since the 2d of November.
December R2d. - I was ordered to conduct an
o5cer of Nuwab Zuman Khan over the magazine,
that he might make choice of such stores as would
be most acceptable to the chiefs.. I recommended
a large pile of 8-inch shells to his notice, which
I knew would be of no use to the chiefs, as the
mortars were with Capt. Abbott's battery at Jel-
lalabad. He eagerly seized the bait, and departed
i n great glee, with his prize laden on some old
ammunition-waggons.
The Envoy at the same time sent his-carriage
as s present to Mahomed Akber Khan. That
same night the last-named chief spread the net
into which Sir William Macnaghten was, on the
following day, so miserably lured to his destruc-
tion. Capt. Skinner, at this time living under
Mahomed Akber's protection, was made the bearer
of proposals to the Envoy, of so advantageous a
nature, as to prove, in his forlorn circumstances,
irresistibly tempting.
Amenoollah Khan, the most influential of the
rebels, was to be seized on the following day, and
delivered up to us as a prisoner. Mahomed
Khan's fort was to be immediately occupied by
one of our regiments, and the Bala Hissar by
another. Shah Shoojah was to continue king;
Mahomed Akber was to become his wuzeer, and
our troops were to remain in their present position
until the following spring. -That a scheme like
this, bearing impracticability on its very face,
should have for a moment deceived a man of Sir
11 5
1.54 THE ENVOY'S ' TEMPTATIONS. [CHAP. W.
William's usual intelligence and penetration, is
1
indeed an extraordinary instance of infatuation,
that can only be accounted for on the principle
that a drowning man will catch at a straw. Our
fortunes were now at their lowest ebb ; the chiefs
were apparently delaying our departure until the
snow should have formed an impassable barrier to
the removal of our troops, who, even in the ab-
sence of an enemy, would but too probably perish
from cold and famine. A treaty formed with men
famed for falsehood and treachery, and who had
already shown an utter disregard of some of its
most important stipulations, could be regarded
as little better than so much waste paper;
added to which considerations, Sir William
felt that his own fame was deeply involved in
the issue of that policy*, of which he had from
1
the very first been the prime advocate and up-
holder, and that with i t he must stand or fall.
1
The specious project of Mabomed Akber offered
a solution to the diffic~ilties that beset his path, at
which he grasped with an eagerness engendered 1
by despair. The strength of the rebels had
hitherto lain in their unanimity ; the proposed
stroke of policy would at once dissolve the con-
federacy, and open a road by which to retrieve
I
* That of invading Affghanistan for the purpose of re-
storing Shah Shoojah as king.
our ruined fortunes. On either hand there was
danger ; and, miserable as Sir William's life had
been for the past six weeks, he was willing to
stake his all on the issue of a plan which seemed
to offer a faint hope of recovering the ground we
had lost.
I n a fatal hour he signed his name to a paper
consenting to the arrangement. - His doom was
sealed.-The whole was a scheme got up by the
chiefs, to test his sincerity.
December R3d. - At about noon Sir William
Macnaghten, attended by Capts. Lawrence, Tre-
vor, and Mackenzie, left the mission-house to
attend a conference with Mahomed Akber Khan
on the plain towards Seeah Sung. Previously to
this he had requested the General that two regi-
ments and two guns might be in readiness for
secret service, and that, as the interview would be
of a critical nature, the garrison might be kept
well on the alert, and the walls strongly manned.
In leaving the cantonments, Sir William expressed
hie disappointment at the paucity of men on the
ramparts, and the apparent inertness of the gar-
rison at such a critical moment, saying, " How-
ever, i t is all of a piece with the military arrange-
ments throughout the siege." On his leaving the '
gate only sixteen troopers of the body-guard were
H 6
166 SIGBS OF -Y. [--
in attendance, but the remainder dudy af h-
war& joined, under Lieut Le Gqt .
Sir William now for the first time e r p W to
the officers who accompanied him the objects of
the present conference ; and Capt. La- was
warned to be in readiness to gaUop to tbe Bah
Iiirsar, to prepare the King for the approach of a
regiment.
Apprehensions being expressed of t he dampr
to which the scheme might expose him, in case of
treachery on the part of Mahomed Akber, he
replied, Dangerous it is; but if i t suceeeh i t
ifi worth all risks : the rebels have not fulfilled
oven one article of the treaty, and I have no am-
fidence in them; and if by it we can only save
our honour, all will be well. At any rate, I would
rather suffer a hundred deaths, than live the last
six weeks over again."
Meanwhile crowds of armed Afl+ms were ob-
served liovering near the cantonment and about
Mahomed Khan's fort, causing misgivings in the
minds of all but the Envoy himself, whose con-
fidence remained unshaken. On arriving near the
bridge, they were met by Mahomed Akber Khan,
Mahomed Shah Khan, Dost Mahomed Khan,
Khooda Bux Khan, Azad Khan, and other cbiefi,
amongst whom was the brother of Amenoollah
CHAP. VIIL] TIIE PARTY SEIZED. 157
Khan, whose presence might have been sufficient
to convince Sir William that he had been duped.
The usual civilities having passed, the Euvoy
presented Akber Khan with a valuable Arab
horse, which had olily that morning been pur-
chased for 3000 rupees. The whole party then
sat down near some rising ground, which partially
concealed them from cantonments.
Capt. Lawrence having called attention to the
number of inferior followers around them, with a
view to their being ordered to a distance, Maho-
med Akber exclaimed, " No, they are all in the
secret;" which words had scarcely been uttered,
when Sir William and his three companions found
themselves suddenly grasped firmly by the hands
from behind, whilst their swords and pistols were
rudely snatched away by the chiefs and their
followers. The three officers were immediately
pulled forcibly along and compelled to mount on
horseback, each behind a Giljye chief, escorted
by a number of armed retainers, who with diffi-
culty repelled the efforts of a crowd of fanatic
Ghazees, who, on seeing the affray, had rushed to
the spot, calling aloud for the blood of the hated
infidels, aiming at them desperate blows with their
long knives and other weapons, and only deterred
from firing by the fear of killing a chief. The
unfortunate Ellvoy was last seen struggling vio-
1 fi8 CAPT. TREVOR KILLED. [CIUP.VIIL
lently with Mahomed Akber, consternation and
horror depicted on his countenance."
On their nearing Mahomed Khan's fort, re-
newed attempts were made to assassinate the
three captive officers by the crowd there assem-
bled. Capt. Trevor, who was seated behind Dost
Mahomed Khan, unhappily fell to the ground,
and was instantly slain. Capts. Lawrence and
Mackenzie reached the fort in safety, but the
latter was much bruised in various parts of his
body, and both were greatly exhausted from the
excitement they had undergone.
At the entrance of the fort, a furious cut was
aimed at Capt. Mackenzie's head by r i ruffian
named Moollah Momin, which was warded off by
Mahomed Shah Khan, that chief receiving the
blow on his own shoulder. Being taken into a
small room, they found themselves still in con-
tinual jeopardy from repeated assaults of the
Ghazees without, who were with the greatest
difficulty restrained from shooting them through
the window, where the hand of some recent Euro-
pean victim (afterwards ascertained to be that of
the Envoy himself) was insultingly held up to their
view. Throughout this trying scene they received
repeated assurances of protiction from the (3iijye
chiefs ; but Amenoollah Khan coming in gave
vent to a torrent of angry abuse, and even threat-
ened to blow them from a gun. I t is deserving
of notice, that, amidst tlie congratulations which
on all sides met the ear of Mahomed Shah Khan
on the events of the day, the solitary voice of an
aged Moollah was raised in condemnation of the
deed, which he solemnly prpnounced to be ccfoul,"
and calculated to' cast a lasting disgrace on the
religion of Mahomed. At midnight they were
removed to the house of Mahomed Akber Khan.
As they passed through the streets of Cabul, not-
withstanding the excitement that had prevailed
throughout the day, i t resembled ,a city of the
dead ; nor did they meet a single soul.
By Akber Khan they were received courteously,
and werf: now informed for the first time by Capt.
Skinner of the murder of the Envoy and Capt.
Trevor. That Sir William Macnaghten met his
death at the hands of Mahomed Akber himself
there can be no reasonable doubt. That chief
had pledged himself to his coadjutors to seize the
Envoy that day, and bring him into the city,
when the chiefs hoped to have been able to
dictate their own terms, retaining him as a hostage
for their fulfilment. Finding it impossible, from
the strenuous resistance Sir William offered, to
carry him off alive, and yet determined not to
disappoint the public expectation altogether, -
influenced also by his tiger passions, and the
160 DEATH OF THE ENVOY. [ c H ~ P . ~ .
remembrance of his father's wrongs, - Mahomed
Akber drew a pistol, the Envoy's own gift a few
hours before, and shot him through the body,
which was immediately hacked to pieces by the
ferocious Ghazees, by whom the dismembered
trunk was afterwards carried to the city, and
publicly exposed in the Char Chouk, or principal
mart. The head was taken to the house of
Nuwab Zuman Khan, where i t was triumphantly
exhibited to Cqpt. Conolly.
Such was the cruel fate of Sir William Mac-
naghten, the accomplished scholar, the distin-
guished politician, and the representative of Great
Britain at the court of Shah Shooja-001-Moolk.
I t cannot but be acceptable to my readers, if I
here present entire the interesting and important
letters of Capts. Mackenzie and Lawrence on this
melancholy subject.
Letter addressed by CAPTA~N C. MACKENZIE to
LIEUTENANT V~ CE NT EYRE.
MY DEAR EYRE,
You ask for a minute account of the circumstances
attending the assassination of the late Sir William
Macnaghten, and my own detention and imprisonment
on that occasion. You may remember that, for many
days previous to the fatal 23d December, the poor
Envoy had been subjected to more wear and tear, both
of body and mind, than it was possible for the most
CHAP. w.] CAPT. MACKENZIE'S LETTER. 161
iron frame and the st rongat intellect t o bear without
deeply feeling its effects. H e had fulfilled all the pre-
liminary conditions of t he treaty which had been pm-
posed between the British and t he Affghan insurgents,
whereaa t he Khans had in no one particular adhered
to their engagements. Bad faith ' was evident in all
their proceedings, and our condition was a desperate
one ; more especially as Si r William had ascertained,
by bitter experience, that no hope remained in t he
energies and resourcesof our military leaders, who had
formally rotested t hat they could do nothing more.
Beset by this disgraceful imbecility on the one hand,
and by systematic treachery on t he other, t he un-
fortunate Envoy was driven t o his wits' end, and, as
will be seen, forgot, in a fatal moment, the whol e~ome
rule which he had theretofore laid down for himself,
of refusing t o hold communication with individuals
of t he rebel party, especially with him who was noto-
rious, even amongst his villanous countrymen, for
ferocity and treachery, to wit, Mahomed Aliber Khan.
Late in t he evening of the 22d December, Captain
James Skinner, who, after having been concealed in
Cabul during the greater part of the siege, had latterly
been t he guest of Mahomed Akber, arrived in canton-
ments, accompanied by Mahomed Sudeeq Khan, a first
cousin of Mahomed Akber, and by Suwar Khan, t he
Arhariee merchant, who, in t he beginning of t he cam-
paign, had furnished the army with camels, and who
had been much in the confidence of Si r A. Burnes,
being, in fact, one of our staunchest friend& The two
latter remained in a different apartment, while Skinner
dined with t he Envoy. During dinner, Skinner jest-
ingly remarked that he felt as if laden with combusti-
bles, being charged with a message from Mahomed
Akber to the Envoy of a most portentous nature.
Even then I remarked that the Envoy's eye glanced
eagerly towards Skinner with an expression of hope.
In fact, he was like a drowning man catching at straws.
Skinner however referred him to his Affgban com-
panions, and after d i n e r the four retired into a room
by themselves. My knowledge of what there took
place is gained from poor Skinner's own relation, as
given during my subsequent captivity with him in
Akber's house. Mahomed Sudeeq disclosed Mahomed
Akber's proposition to the Envoy, which was, t hat the
following day Sir William should meet him (l\;iahomed
Akber) and a few of his immediate friends, viz. the
chiefs of the Eastern Giljyes, outside the cantonments,
when a final agreement should be made, so as t o be
fully understood by both parties ; that Sir William
should have a considerable body of troops in readiness,
which, on a given signal, were to join with those of
Mahomed Akber and the Giljyes, assault and take
Mahmood Khan's fort, and secure the person of
Ameenoollah. At this stage of the proposition Maho-
med Sudeeq signified that, for a certain sum of money,
the head of Ameenoollah should be presented to the
Envoy ; but from this Sir William shrunk with abhor-
rence, declaring that it was neither his custom nor
that of his bounty to give a price for blood. Ma-
homed Sudeeq then went on to say, that, after having
subdued the rest of the Khans, the English should be
permitted to remain in the count y eight months
longer, so as to save their purdah (veil, or credit), but
that they were then to evacuate Affghanistan, as if of
their own accord; that Shah Shooja was to continue
king of the country, and that Mahomed Akber was to
be his wuzeer. As a further reword for his (Maho-
med Akber's) assistance, the British Government were
to pay him 30 lacs of rupees, and 4 lacs of rupees per
annum during his life I To this extraordinary and
wild proposal, Sir William gave ear with an eagerness
which nothing can account for but the supposition,
confirmed by many other circumstances, that his
strong mind had been harassed, until it had, in some
degree, lost its equipoise; and he not only assented
fully to these terms, but actually gave a Persian paper
to that effect, written in his own hand, declaring as
his motives that it was not only an excellent opportu-
nity to carry into effect the real wishes of government,
which were to evacuate the country with as much
credit to ourselves as possible, but that it would give
England time to enter into a treaty with Russia, de-
fining the bounds beyond which neither were to pass
in Central Asia So ended this fatal conference,
the nature and result of which, contrary to his usual
custom, Sir William communicated to none of those
who, on all former occasions, were fully in his confi-
dence, viz. Trevor, Lawrence, ,and myself. I t seemed
as if he feared that we might insist on the impracti-
cability of the plan, which he must have studiously
concealed from himself. All the following morning
his manner was distracted and hurried in a way that
none of us had ever before witnessed. I t seems that
Mahomed Akber had demanded a favourite Arab
horse, belonging to Captain Grant, Assist-Adj.-Gen. of
force. To avoid the necessity of parting with the
animal, Captain Grant had fixed his price at the ex-
orbitant sum of 5000 rupees ; unwilling to give so
large a price, but determined to gratify the Sirdar,
Sir William sent me to Captain Grant to prevail npon
him to take a smaller sum, but with orden that if he
were peremptory, the 5000 rupees should be given.
I obtained the horse for 3000 rupees, and Sir William
appeared much pleased with the prospect of gratifying
Mahomed Akber by the present.
After breakfast, Trevor, Lawrence, and myself
were summoned to attend the Envoy during his con-
ference with Mahomed Akber Khan. I found him
alone, when, for the first time, he disclosed to me
the nature of the transaction he Was engaged in. I
immediately warned him that it was a plot against him.
He replied hastily, '' A plot 1 let me alone for that,
trust me for that 1" and I consequently offered no
further remonstrance. Sir William then arranged
with General Elphinstone that the !%th regiment, under
Major Ewart, should be held in readiness for imme-
diate service. The Shah's 6th, and two guns, were
also warned. I t is a curious circumstance, and betrays
the unhappy vacillation of poor Elphinstone, that,
after Sir William had actually quitted the cantonment
in full expectation that every thing had been arranged
according to his desire, he (the General) addressed a
letter to him, which never reached him, remonstrating
on the danger of the proposed attack, and strongly ob-
jecting to the employment of the two above regiments.
About 12 o'clock Sir William, Trevor, Lawrence,
and myself set forth on our ill-omened expedition.
As we approached the Seeah Sung gate, Sir William
observed with much vexation that the troops were not
in readiness, protesting at the same time, however,
that, desperate as the proposed attempt was, it was
bet t er that i t should be made, and that a thousand
deaths were preferable to the life he had lately led.
After passing t he gate, he remembered t he horse
which he had intended as a present for Akber, and
sent me back for it. When I rejoined him, I found
t hat t he small number of t he body guard who had ac-
companied him had been ordered to halt, and that he,
Trevor, and Lawrence, had advanced in t he direction
of Mahmood Khan's fort, being some 500 or 600 yards
from the eastern rampart, and were there awaiting t he
approach of Mahomed Akber and his party, who now
made their appearance. Close by were some hillocks,
on t he further side of which from t he cantonment
a carpet was spread where t he snow lay least thick,
and there the Khans and Si r William sat down t o hold
their conference. Men talk of presentiment ; I sup-
pose i t was something of the kind which came over
me, for I could scarcely prevail upon myself to quit my
horse. I did so, h o f ever, and was invited to sit down
among the Sirdars. After the usual salutations Maho-
med Akber commenced business, by askingthe Envoy if
he was perfectly ready to carry intoeffectthe proposition
of t he preceding night ? The Envoy replied, " Why
not?" My attention was then called off by an old
Affghan acquaintance of mine, formerly chief of t he
Cabul police, by name Gholam Moyun-ood-deen. I
rose from my recumbent posture, and stood apart with
him conversing. I afterwards remembered that my
friend betrayed much anxiety as to where my pistols
were, and why I did not carry them on my person. I
answered that although I wore my sword for form, i t
was not necessary a t a friendly conference to be armed
cap-&pee. Hi s discourse was also full of extravagant
compliments, I suppose for the purpose of 1 - 0 =
to sleep. At length my attention was ailed & h m
what he was saying, by obeming that a number of
men, armed to the teeth, had gradually .pproached to
the wene of conference, and were drawing round in a
sort of circle. This Lawrence and myself pointed
out to some of the chief men, who affected at &st to
drive them off with whips ; but Mahomed Akber o b
served that it wae of no consequence, as tbey were in
the secret. I again resumed my conversation with
Gholsm Moyun-ood-deen, when suddenly I heard
Mahomed Akber call out, Begeer ! begeer I " (seize I
seize 1) and turning round, I saw him grasp the Envoy's
left hand with an expression in his face of t be most
diabolical ferocity. I think it was Sultan Jan who
laid hold of the Envoy's right hand. They dragged
him in a stooping posture down the hillock, the only
words I heard poor Sir William utter being, Aa
barae Khooda " (for God's sake) 1 'I saw his face how-
ever, and it was full of horror and astonishment. I
did not see what became of Trevor, but Lawrence was
dragged past me by several Affghans, whom I saw
wrest his weapons from him. Up to this moment I
was so engrossed in observing what was taking place,
that I actually was not aware that my own right arm
was mastered, that my urbane friend held a pistol to
my temple, and that I was surrounded by a circle of
Ghazeea with drawn swords and cocked juzails. Re-
sistance was in vain ; so, listening to the exhortations
of Gholam Moyun-ood-deen, which were enforced by
the whistling of divers bullets over my head, I hurried
through the snow with him to the place where his
horse was standing, being despoiled en route of my
sabre, and narrowly escaping divers attempts made on
my life. As I mounted behind my captor, now my
energetic defender, t he crowd increased around ue,
t he cries of " Kill t he Kafir" became more vehement,
and, although we hurried on a t a fast canter, i t was
with the utmost difficulty Gholam Moyun-ood-deen,
although assisted by one or t wo friends or followers,
could ward off and avoid t he sword-cuts aimed a t me,
t he rascals being afraid to fire lest they should kill my
conductor. Indeed he was obliged t o wheel his horse
round once, and, taking off his turban (the last appeal
a Mussulman can make), to implore them for God's
sake to respect the life of his friend. At last, ascending
a slippery bank, t he horse fell. My cap had been
snatched off, and I now received a heavy blow on the
head from a bludgeon, which fortunately did not quite
deprive me of my senses. I had sufficient sense left t o
shoot ahead of t he fallen horse, where my protector
with another man joined me, and, clasping me in their
arms, hurried me towards t he wall of Mahmood
Khan's fort. How I reached t he spot where Mahomed
Akber was receiving t he gratulations of t he multi-
tude I know not, but I remember a fanatic rushing on
me and twisting his hand in my collar until I became
exhausted from suffocation. I must do Mahomed
Akber the justice t o say, that, finding the Ghazees bent
on my slaughter, even after I had reached his stirrup,
he drew his sword and laid about him right manfully,
for my conductor and Meerza BBoodeen Khan were
obliged to press me up against t he wall, covering me
with their own bodies, and protesting that no blow
should reach me but through their persons.
Pride, however, overcame Mahomed Akber's sense
of courtesy, when he thought I was safe, for h e then
turned round to me, and repeatedly said in a t one of
triumphant derision, "Shuma moolk-i-ma m e geered! '
( You'll seize my country, will you !) he t h e n rode d,
and I waa humed towards t he gate o f t h e for+ Here
new dangers awaited me; for Moollah Momin, I d
from the slaughter of poor Trevor, wh o was killed
riding close behind me, - Sultan Jan havi ng t h e c d t
of having given him t he first sabre cut, - st ood here
with his followers, whom he exhorted t o slay me, set-
ting them t he example by cutting fiercely at m e bimsetf.
Fortunately a gun stood between us, but st i l l b e would
have etfected his purpose, had not Mehomed Shah
Khan a t that instant, with some followers, c ome t o my
assistance. These drew their swords i n my defence,
t he chief himself throwing his arm round my neck, and
receiving on his shoulder a cut aimed b y Moollah
Momin at my head. Duri ng t he bustle I pushed
forward into t he fort, and was immediately t aken t o a
sort of dungeon, where I found Lawrence safe, b i t
somewhat exhausted by his hideous ride and t he v i e
lence he had sustained, although unwounded. Here
t he Giljye chiefs, Mahomed Shah Khan, and his
brother Dost Mahomed Khan, presently joined US,
and endeavoured t o cheer up our flagging spirits,
assuring us that the Envoy and Trevor were not dead,
but on t he contrary quite well. They stayed with us
during t he afternoon, their presence being absolutely
necessary for our protection. Many attempts were
made by the fanatics t o force the door t o accomplish
our destruction. Others spit at us and abused us
through a small window, through which one fellow
levelled a blunderbuss a t us, which was struck up by
our keepers and himself thrust back. At last Amee-
noollah made his appearance, and threatened us with
instant death. Some of his people most officiously ad-
vanced to make good his word, until pushed back by
the Giljye chiefs, who remonstrated with this iniquitous
old monster, their master, whom they persuaded to
relieve us from his hateful presence. During the after-
noon, a human hand was held up in mockery to us at the
window. We said that it had belonged to an European,
but were not aware at the time that it was actually the
,hand of the poor Envoy. Of all the Mahomedans
assembled in the room discussing the events of the
day, one only, an old Moollah, openly and fearlessly
condemned the acts of his brethren, declaring that the
treachery was abominable, and a disgrace to Islam.
At night they brought us food, and gave us each a
postheen to sleep on. At midnight we were awakened
to go to the house of Mahomed Akber in the city.
Mahomed Shah Khan then, with the meanness com-
inon to all Affghans of rank, robbed Lawrence of his
watch, while his brother did me a similar favour. I
had been plundered of my rings and every thing else
previously, by the understrappers.
Reaching Mahomed Akber's abode, we were shown
into the room where he lay in bed. He received us
with great outward show of' courtesy, assuring us of
the welfare of the Envoy and Trevor, but there was a
constraint in his manner for which 1 could not account.
We were shortly taken to another apartment, where we
found Skinner, who had returned, being on parole,
early in the morning. Doubt and gloom marked our
meeting, and the latter was fearfully deepened by the
intelligence which we now received from our fellow-
I
captive of t he base murder of Si r William and Trevor.
He informed ua t hat t he .head of t he former had been
carried about t he city in triumph. We of course spent
a miserable night. The next day we were taken under
a strong guard t o t he house of Zeman Khan, where a
council of the Khans was being held. Here we found
Captains Co~~ol l y and Airey, who had some days pre-
viously been sent to the'hurwah's house as hostage for
t he performance of certain parts of t he treaty which
was to have been entered into. A violent discussion
took place, in which Mahomed Akber bore the most
prominent part. We were vehemently accused of .
treachery, and every t hi ng that was bad, and told that
the whole of the transactions of t he night previous had
been a trick of Mahomed Akber, and Ameenoollah,
t o ascertain t he Envoy's sincerity. They declared t hat
they would now grant us no terms, save on the surren-
der of the whole of the married families as hostages,
all the guns, ammunition, and treasure. At this time
Conolly told me that on t he preceding day the Envoy's
head had been paraded about in the court yard ; t hat
his and Trevor's bodies had been hung up in t he
public bazar, or chouk; and that i t was with the great-
est difficulty that the old hurwah, Zuman Khan, had
saved him a ~ i d Airey from being murdered by a body
of fanatics, who had attempted t o rush into the room
where they were. Also t hat previous t o t he arrival of
Lawrence, Skinner, and myself, Maho'med Akber
had been relating the events of the preceding day t o
t he Jeerga or council, and that he had unguardedly
avowed having, while endeavouring to force the Envoy
either to mount on horseback or to move more quickly,
stpuck him, and that, seeing Conollg's eye fastened upon
him with an expression of intense indignation, he had
CHAP. vm.1 OF THE ENVOY'S MURDER. 171
altered t he phrase and said, I mean I pushed him."
After an immense deal of gabble, a proposal for a
renewal of the treaty, not however demanding all the
guns, was determined to be sent t o t he cantonmentg
and Skinner, Lawrence, and myself were marched back
to Akber's house, enduring en mute all manner of
threats and insults. Her e we were closely confined in
an inner apartment, which was indeed necessary for
our safety. That evening we received avisit from Ma-
homed Akber, Sultan Jan, and several other Affghans.
Mahomed Akbet exhibited his double-barrelled pistols
to us, which he had worn t he previous day, requesting
us t o put their locks t o rights, something being amiss.
TZUO of the barrels had beew recently discharged, which
he endeavoured in a most confused way t o account for
by saying, that he had been charged by a havildar of
the escort, and had fired both barrels a t him. Now all
the escort had run away without even attempting t o
charge, t he only man who advanced to the rescuc
having been a Hindoo Jemadar of Chuprassies, who was
instantly cut to pieces by t he assembled Ghazees. This
defence he made without any accusation on our part,
betraying the anxiety of a liar to be believed. On
the 26th, Capt. Lawrence was taken t o the house of
Ameenoollah, whence he did not return t o us. Capt.
Skinner and myself remained in Akber's house until the
30th. Duri ng this time we were civilly treated, and
conversed with numbers of Affghan gentlemen who
came t o visit us. Some of them asserted t hat the En-
voy had been murdered by the unruly soldiery. Others
could not deny that Akber himself was the assassin.
For two or three days we had a fellow-prisoner in poor
Sirwar Khan, who had been deceived throughout the
I a
t hol e matter, and out of whom they were then endea-
vouring to screw money. He of course was aware
from his countrymen that, not only had Akber com-
mitted t he murder, but that he protested to t he Ghazees
t hat he gloried in the deed. On one occasion a moon-
shee of Major Pottinger, who had escaped from Cha-
rekhar, named Mohun Beer, camp direct from t he
presence of Mahomed Akber t o visit us. He told us
t hat Mahomed Akber had begun t o see the impolicy
of having murdered the Envoy, which fact he had just
avowed t o him, shedding many tears either of pretended
remorse, or of real vexation, at having committed him-
self. On several occasions Mahomed Akber person-
ally, dnd by deputy, besought Skinner and myself t o
give him advice, as t o how he was t o extricate himself
from the dilemma in which he was placed, more t han
once endeavouring toexcuae himself for not having
effectually protected the Envoy, by. saying that Si r
William had drawn a sword stick upon him. I t seems
that meanwhile t he renewed negotiations with Maj or
Pottinger, who had assumed the Envoy's place in can-
tonments, had been brought t o a head, for on t he night
of the 30th, Akber furnished me with an Affghan dress
(Skinner already wore one) and sent us both back
t o cantonments. Several Affghans, with whom I fell
in afterwards, protested t o me that they had seen Ma-
homed Akber shoot t he Envoy with his own hand;
amongst them Meerza Btioodeen Khan, who, being an.
old acquaintance, always retained a sneaking kindness
for the English.
I am, my dear Eyre, yours very truly,
C. MACKENZIE.
Cabul, 29th July. 1842.
(True copy.)
Vi t . Eyre, Lieut. Bengal Artillery.
CHAP. vm. j CAPT. LAWRENCE'S LETTER. 173
Letter addressed by CAPTAIN G. ST. P. LAWRENCE,
late Military Secretay to the Envoy, to -OR
E. POTTINGER, C.B., late in charge of the Cabul
Missirm.
4
SIR,
IN compliance with your request, I have the honour
to detail the particulars of my capture, andof the death
of my ever-to-be-lamented chief.
On the morning of the 23d December, at 11 A.M.,
I received a note from the late Sir W. H. Macnaghten,
warning me to attend, with Captains Trevor and
Mackenzie, an interview he was about t o have with
Sirdar Mahomed Akber Khan. Accordingly, with
the above-named officers, at about 12, I accompanied
Sir William, having previously heard him tell Major-
General Elphinstone to have two regiments of infantry
and two guns ready for secret service. In passing
through cantonments, on my observing that there
were more Affghans in cantonments than usual, or
than I deemed safe, the Envoy directed one of his
Affghan attendants to proceed and cause them all to
leave, at the same time remarking, how strange it was
that, although the General was fully acquainted with
the then very critical state of affairs, no preparations
appeared to have been made, adding, " however, it is
all of a piece with the military arrangements through-
out the siege." He then said, "There is not enough
of the escort with us," to which I replied, that he had
only ordered eight or ten, but that I had brought
sixteen, and that I would send for the remainder,
which I accordingly did, asking Lieut. Le Geyt to
I 3
bring them, and to tell Brigadier Shelton, who had ex-
pressed a wishto attend the next interview, that he might
accompany them. On passing the gate, we observed
some hundreds of armed Affghans within a few yards
of it, on which I called to the offier on duty to get
the reserve under arms, and brought outside to dis-
perse them, and to send to the General to have the
garrison on the alert. Towards Mahmood Khan's
fort, were a number of armed Affghans, but we
observed none nearer.
The Envoy now told us that he, on the night
previous, had received a proposal from Sirdar Ma-
homed Akber Khan to which he had agreed, and
that he had every reason to hope it would bring our
present difficulties to an early and happy termination ;
that Mahomed Akber Khan was to give up Naib
Ameenoollah Khan as a prisoner to us, for which
purpose a regiment was to proceed to Mahmood
Khan's fort, and another corps was to occupy the Bala
Hissar. Sir William then warned me to be ready to
gallop to the king with the intelligence of the approach
of the regiment, and to acquaint him with Akber's
proposal. On one of us remarking that the scheme
seemed a dangerous one, and asking if he did not
apprehend any treachery, he replied : Dangerous i t
is, but, if it succeeds, it is worth all risks ; the rebels
have not fulfilled even one article of the treaty, and I
have no confidence in them, and if by it we can only
save our honour, all will be wdl; at any rate, I would
rather suffer an hundred deaths, than live the last six
weeks over again." We proceeded to near the usual
spot, and met Sirdar Mahomed Akber Khan, who was
accompanied by several Giljre chiefe, Mahomed Shah
Khan, Dost Mahomed Khan, Khoda Bux Khan, Azad
Khan, &c. After the usual salutations, the Envoy
presented a valuable horse which Akber had asked
for, and which had been that morning purchased from
Capt. Grant for BOO0 rupees. The Sirdar acknow-
ledged the attention, and expressed his thanks for a
handsome brace of double-barrelled pistols which the
Envoy had purchased from me, and sent to him, with
his carriage and pair of hones, the day before.
The party dismounted, and horse clothes were
spread on a small hillock which partially concealed us
from cantonments, and which was chosen, they said,
as being free from snow. The Envoy threw himself
on the bank with Mahomed Akber and Captains
Trevor and Mackenzie beside him; I stood behind
Sir William till, pressed by Dost Mahomed Khan, I
knelt on one knee, having first called the Envoy's
attention to the number of Affghans around us, saying
that if the subject of the conference was of that secret
nature I believed it to be, they had better be re-
moved. He spoke to Mahomed Akber, who replied,
No, they are all in the secret." Hardly had he so said,
when I found my arms locked, my pistols and sword
wrenched from my belt, and myself forcibly raised
from the ground and pushed along, Mahomed Shah
Khan, who held me, calling out, " Come along, if you
value your life." I turned, aud saw the Envoy lying,
his head where his heels had been, and his hands
locked in Mahomed Akber's, consternation and horror
depicted in his countenance. Seeing I could do
nothing, I let myself be pulled on by Mahomed Shah
Khan. Some shots were fired, and I was hurried to
his horse, on which he jumped, telling me to get up
I 4
behind, which I did, and we proceeded, escorted by
several armed men who kept off a crowd of Ghaaeeg
who sprang up on every side shouting for me to be
given up for them to slay, cutting at me with their
swords and knives, and poking me in the ribs with their
guns : they were afraid to fire, lest they should injure
their chief. The horsemen kept them pretty well off,
but not sufficiently so to prevent my being much
bruised. In this manner we hurried towards Ma-
homed Khan's fort, near which we met some hundreds
of horsemen who were keeping off the Ghazeeg who
here were in greater numbers, and more vociferous for
my blood. We, however, reaohed the fort in safety, and
I waa pushed into a small room, Mahomed Shah Khan
returning to the gate of the fort and bringing in Capt.
Mackenzie, whose horse had there fallen. This he did,
receiving a cut through his neencha (Scother c&)
on his arm, which was aimed at that officer, who was
ushered into the room with me much exhausted and
bruised from blows ou his head and body. We sat
down with some soldiers who were put over us with
a view to protect us from the mob, who now surrounded
the house, and who till dark continued execrating and
spitting at us, calling on the men to give us up t o be
slaughtered.
One produced a hand (European) which appeared
to have been recently cut off; another presented a
blunderbuss, and was about to fire it, when it waa
knocked aside by one of our guard. Several of the
Sirdars came in during the day, and told us to be as-
sured that no harm should befal us ; that the Envoy
and Trevor were safe in the city (a falsehood, as will
be afterwards seen). Naib Ameenoollah Khan and hi
sons also came.
The former, in great wratb, said that
we either should be, or deserved to be, blown away
from a gun. Mahomed Shah Khan and Dost Ma-
homed Khan begged he would not so talk, and took
hi m out of the room. Towards night food was given
t o us, and postheens to sleep on : our watches, rings,
and silk handkerchiefs were taken from us ; but in all
other respects we were unmolested. The followers of
Mahomed Shah Khan repeatedly congratulated him
on the events of the day, with one exception, viz. an
' old Moollah, who loudly exclaimed that the name of
the faithful was tarnished, and that in future no belief
could be placed in them; that the deed was foul and
could never be of advantage to the authors." At mid-
night we were taken through the city to the house of
Mahomed Akbar Khan, who received us courteously,
lamenting the occurrences of the day : here we found
Captain Skinner, and for the first time heard the
dreadful and astounding intelligence of the murder of
the Envoy and Captain Trevor, and that our lamented
chief's head had been paraded through the city in
triumph, and his trunk, after being dragged through
the streets, stuck up in the Char Chouk, the most con-
spicuous part of the town. Captain Skinner told us,
that the report was, that on Mahomed Akbar Khan's
telling Sir William to accompany him, he refused, re-
sisted, and pushed the Sirdar from him ; that in con-
sequence he was immediately shot and his body cut to
pieces by the Ghazees ; that Captain Trevor had been
conveyed behind Dost Mahomed Khan as far as Ma-
homed Khan's fort, where he was cut down, but that
his body was not mangled, though carried in triumph
through the city. On the following morning (24th)
I 5
we (Captain Skinner, Mackenzie, and self) were taken
to Nuwab Zuman Khan's house, escorted by Sultan
Jan and other chiefs, to protect us from the Ghazees;
there we met Captains Conolly and Airey (hostages)
and all the rebel Sirdam assembled in council. The
Envoy's death was lamented, but hie conduct severely
censured, and it was said that now no faith could be
placed in our words A new treaty however was dis-
1
cussed, and sent to the General and Major Pottinger,
and towarda evening we returned as we came to Ma-
homed Akbeis, where I remained a prisoner, but well
and courteously treated till the morning of the 26th.
when I was sent to Naib Ameenoollah Khan. On
reaching his house I was ushered into his private
apartment. The Naib received me kindly, showed me
the Envoy's original letter in reply to Mahomed Akber's
proposition, touching his being made Shah Shujah's
Wuzeer, receiving a lack of rupees on giving the Naib
,a prisoner to us, thirty lacks on the final settlement
of the insurrection, &c. To this the Naib added that
the Envoy had told Mahomed Akbar's cousin that a
lack of rupees would be given for his (Ameenoollah
Khan's) head. I promptly replied LL 'tis false," *that
Sir William had never done so, that it was utterly
foreign and repugnant to his nature, and to British
usage. The Naib expressed himself in strong terms
against the Envoy, contrasting his own fair and open
conduct with that of Sir William. He told me that
General Elphinstone and Major Pottinger had begged
I might be released, as my presence was necessary to
enable them to prepare bills on India, which it had
been arranged the Sirdars were to get. After some
delay, consequent on my asking for Captain Macken-
zie to be released with me, and Mahomed Akber's
stoutly refusing the release of either of us, I was sent
into cantonments on the morning of the-29th, escorted
by the Naib's eldest son and a strong party of horse
and foot, being disguised as an Affghan for my greater
protection. I must here record that nothing could ex-
ceed the Naib's kindness and attention to me while
under his roof.
I have, &c. &e.
(Signed) G. St. P. LAWRENCE,
Military Secretary
to the late Envoy and Minister.
Camp Zmuiah,
Ten milee south of Tezeea
10th May, 1842.
(True copy.)
Vint. Eyre, Lieut. Bpogal Artillery.
HOW WE AVENGED HIM ! [CHAP, XX.
CHAP. IX.
HOW WB AVENGED HIM ! -0OUNOIL OF WAR. - Tl UUB
ACOEPTED. - HOBTAQEE GIVEN. - POBTPONEYENT OF
DEPARTURE.
BUT what were our troops about all this time ?
Were no steps taken to rescue. the Envoy and his
friends from their perilous position? Where was
the body-guard which followed them from canton-
ments?- These questions will naturally occur to
all who read the foregoing pages, and I wish i t
were in my power to render satisfactory answers.
The body-guard had only got a few hundred
yards from the gate .in their progress to the scene
of conference, when they suddenly faced about and
came galloping back, several shots being fired at
them in their retreat. Lieut. Le Geyt, in passing
through the gate, exclaimed that the Envoy had
been carri6d off, and it was believed that, finding
his men 'would not advance to the rescue, he
came back for assistance. But the intelligence
he brought, instead of rousillg our leaders to in-
stant action, seemed to paralyze their faculties;
and, although i t was evident that our Envoy had
been basely entrapped, if not actually murdered,
w. IX.] HOW WE AVENGED HIM! 181
before our very gate, and though even now crowds
of Mghans, horse and foot, were seen passing and
repassing to and fro in hostile array, between Ma-
homed's fort and the place of meeting, not a gun
was opened upon them ; not ti soldier was stirred
from his post; no lsortie was apparently even
thought of ; treachery was allowed to triumph in
open day ; the murder of a British Envoy was
perpetrated i n the face and within musketrshot
of a British army,; and not only was no effort
made to 'avenge the dastardly deed, but the body
was left lying on the plain to be mangled and in-
sulted, and finally carried off to be paraded in
the public market by a ruffianly mob of fanatical
barbarians.
Intense was the anxiety and wretched the
suspense felt by all during the rest of the day. A
number of Mghans, who were trafficking in can-
tonments at the time of the conference, on hearing
the report of fire-arms in that direction, endea-
voured to escape, but were detained by the officer
at the gate. No certain tidings regarding the
Envoy could be obtained: many confidently
affirmed that he was alive and unharmed in Ma-
homed's fort ; but Lieut. Warren stoutly main-
tained that he had kept his eye upon Sir William
from the moment of his leaving the gate, and had
distinctly seen him fall to the ground, and the
182 THE TREATY RESUMED. [~~im.rx.
e h a n s hacking at his body. The agony of
his poor wife during this dread interval of sus-
pense may be imagined.
December 24th. - The fate of the Envoy and
his three companions remained a mystery, until
the arrival of a note from Capt. Conolly notifying
his death and that of Capt. Trevor, and the
safety of Capts. Lawrence and Mackenzie.
The two latter officers had been that morning
escorted to a conference of chiefs at the house of
Nuwab Zuman Khan, where the late Envoy's
conduct was severely commented on; but his
death was nevertheless lamented. The treaty
was again discussed ; and, after a few alterations
and additions had been made, i t was sent
to Gen. Elphinstone, with an explanation of
the breach of faith which had cost the Envoy
his life.
Gen. Elphinstone now requested Major Pot-
tinger to assume the office of political agent and
adviser, which, though still suffering greatly from
his wound, and incapacitated from active bodily
exertion, that gallant o5cer's strict sense of public
duty forbade him to decline, although he plainly
perceived our affairs to be so irretrievably mined,
as to render the distinction anything but enviable,
or likely to improve his hardly-earned fame.
The additional clauses in the treaty now pro-
CHAP. U] CHRISTMAS-DAY. 183
posed for our renewed acceptance were- 1st.
That we should leave behind all our guns, ex-
cepting six. 2nd. That we should immediately
give up all our treasures. 3rd. That the hos- '
tages should be all exchanged for married men,
with their wives and families.- The difficulties of
Major Pottinger's position will be readily per-
ceived, when it is borne in mind that he had
before him the most conclusive evidence of the
late Envoy's ill-advised intrigue with Mahomed
Akber Khan, in direct violation of that very
treaty, which was now once more tendered for
consideration.
December 25th. - A more cheerless Christrnas-
day perhaps never dawned upon British soldiers
i n a strange land; and the few whom the force
of habit urged to exchange the customary greet-
ings of the season, did so with countenances and
in tones indicative of anything but merriment.
& night there was an alarm, and the drum beat
to arms, but nothing occurred of any con-
sequence.
December 26th. - Letters were received from
Capt. Mackeson, political agent at Peshawur,
announcing the march of strong rejnforcements
from India. An offer was made by Mahomed
Osman Khan to escort us all safe to Peshawur
for five lacs of rupees ; and shortly after this the
184 COUNCIL OF WAR. [CHAP. u.
Naib Ameer amved, with a verbal agreement to
certain amendments which had been proposed in
the treaty by Major Pottinger. He was accom-
panied by a Cashmeer merchant and several
Hindoo shroffs, for the purpose of negotiating
bills to the amount of fourteen lacs of rupees,
payable to the several chiefs on the promise of
the late Envoy.
Major Pottinger being altogether averse from
the payment of this money, and indeed strongly
opposed to any treaty binding the Indian go-
vernment to a course of policy, which i t might
find inconvenient to adopt, a council of war was
convened by the General, consisting of himself,
Brigadiers Shelton and Anquetil, Col. Chambers,
Capt. Bellew, Assist. Qr.-Mast.-Gen., and Capt.
Grant, Assist. Adjt.-Gen. I n the presence of
this council, Major Pottinger declared his con-
viction that no confidence could be placed in any
treaty formed with the Affghan chiefs; that,
under such circumstances, to bind the hands of
government, by promising to evacuate the country,
and to restore the deposed Ameer, and to waste
moreover so much public money, merely to save
our own lives and property, would be inconsistent
with the duty we owed our country and the go-
vernment we served ; and that the only honour-
able course would be either to hold out to the
CEAP. 1x1 TERMB ACCEPTED. 185
last at Cabul, or to force our immediate retreat
to Jellalabad.
This, however, the officers composing the
council, one and all, declared to be impracticable,
owing to the want of provisions, the surrender of
the surrounding forts, and the insuperable diffi-
culties of the road at the present season ; they
therefore deemed i t preferable to pay any sum
of money, rather than sacrifice the whole force in
a hopeless prolongation of hostilities. I t was
accordingly determined, nem. con., that Major
Pottinger should at once renew the negotiations
which had been commenced by Sir William
Macnaghten, and that the sums promised to the
chiefi by that functionary previous to his murder
should be paid. I
' Major Pottinger'a objections being thus over-
ruled, the tendered treaty was forthwith accepted,
and a requisition was made for the release of .
Capt. Lawrence, whose presence was necessary to
prepare the bills on India. Four married host-
ages, with their wives and children, being re-
quired by the chiefs, a circular was sent round, to
ascertain if that number would volunteer to re-
main, a salary of ROO0 rupees per month being
guaranteed to each, as an inducement.
Such, however, was the horror entertained of
Affghan treachery since the late tra!gical occur-
186 HOSTAOES AND [CHAP. u.
rence, that some officers went so far as to say
they would sooner shoot their wives at once, than
commit them to the charge of men, who had
proved themselves devoid of common honour and
humanity. There were, in fact, but one or two
who consented to stay, if the General considered
that by so doing they would benefit the public
service.
December 27th. - The chiefs were informed
that i t was contrary to the usages of war to give
up ladies as hostages, and that the General could
not consent to an arrangement, which would brand
him with perpetual disgrace in his own country.
December 29th. - The Naib Ameer came in
from the city with Capt. Lawrence and the shroffs,
when the bills were prepared without farther
delay. Capts. Drummond, Walsh, Warburton,
and Webb, having been accepted as hostages, were
sent to join Capts. Conolly and Airey at the
house of Nuwab Zuman Khan. A portion of the
sick and wounded, amongst whom was Lieut.
Haughton of the Goorkha regiment, were like-
wise conveyed to the city, and placed under the
protection of the chief%. Three of the Shah's
guns, with the greater portion of our treasure,
were made over during the day, much to the
evident disgust of the soldiery.
December. 30th. - The remainder of the sick
CHAP. 1x.1 SICK GIVEN UP. 187
went into the city, Lieut. Evans, H. M.'s 44th
foot, being placed in command, and Dr. Camp-
bell, 54th N. I., with Dr. Berwick of the Mission,
in medical charge of the whole. Two more of
the Shah's guns were given up. It snowed hard
the whole d 6 . A crowd of armed Giljyes and
Ghazees took up a threatening position close to
the eastern gate, and even attempted to force an
entrance into cantonments. Much annoyance
was daily experienced from these people, who
were in the habit of plundering the peaceable
dealers, who fl ~cked in from the city with grain
and forage, the moment they issued from the can-
tonments ; they even committed frequent assaults
on our Sepoys, and orders to fire on them on such
occasions were repeatedly solicited in vain, al-
though i t was well known that the chiefs them-
selves advised us to do so, and the General had
given Brigadier Shelton positive instructions to
that effect, whenever circumstances might render
i t advisable. The consequence was that our
soldiers were daily constrained to endure the most
insulting and contemptuous taunts and treatment,
from fellows whom a single charge of bayonets
would have scattered like chafl; but who were
emboldened by the apparent tameness of our
troops, which they doubtless attributed to the
want of common pluck, rather than to the re-
188 DELAYS. [CHAP. u
straints of discipline. Capta. Mackenzie and
Skinner obtained their release this evening, the
latter officer having, since the outbreak of the
rebellion, passed through some curious adventures,
in the disguise of an Affghan female.
January 5th. - Affairs continued. in the same
unsettled state until this date. The chiefs post-
poned our departure from day to day on divers
pretexts. I t had been agreed that Nuwab Jubbar
Khan should escort us to Jellalabad with about
ROO0 followers, who were to be entertained for
that purpose.
I t is supposed that, up to the very last, the
majority of chiefs doubted the reality of our in-
tentidn to depart : and many, fearful of the civil
discords for which our retreat would be the
signal, would have gladly detained us at Cabul.
Attempts were made continually by Akber Khan
to wean the Hindoostallees from their allegiance,
and to induce them to desert. Numerous cau-
tions were received from various well-wishers, to
place no confidence i n the professions of the
chiefs, who had sworn together to accomplish our
entire destruction. Shah Shoojah himself sent
more than one solemn warning, and, finding we
B
were bent on taking our OF course, used his
utmost endeavours to persuade Lady Macnaghten
to take advantage of his protection in the Bala
CEAP. IX.] RETROSPECT. 189
Hissar. He also appealed to Brigadier Anquetil,
who commanded the Shah's force, " if i t were
well to forsake him in the hour of need, and to
.deprive him of the aid of that force, which he had
hitherto been taught to consider as his own ?"
Ail was however unavailing. The General and
his council of war had determined that go we
must, and go we accordingly did. ,
I n the foregoing chapters I have offered what
I honestly believe to be a faithful narration of
the dismal train of events which preceded the
evacuation of Cabul, and the abandonment of
Shah Shoojah, by the British army. In taking a
retrospective view of those unprecedented occur-
rences, i t is evident that our reverses may be
mainly attributed to a lack of ordinary foresight
and penetratioli on the part of the chief military'
and civil authorities, on their first entering on the
occupation of this count y; a country whose
innumerable fortified strongholds and difficult
mountain passes, in the hands of a proud and war-
like population, never really subdued nor recon-
ciled to our rule, though unable to oppose the
march of a disciplined army through their land,
ought to have induced a more than common de-
1!30 RETROSPECT. [CHAP. IX.
gree of vigilance and circumspection, in making
adequate ~rovision against any such popular out-
break as might have been anticipated, and did
actually occur. But, instead of applying his un-
deniable talents to the completion of that con-
quest, which gained him an illustrious title and a
wide renown, Lord Keane contented himself with
the superficial success, which attended his pro-
gress through a country hitherto untraversed by
an European army, since the classic days of
Alexander the Great ; he hurried off, with too
great eagerness to enjoy the applause which
awaited him in England, and left to his succes-
sors the far more arduous task of securing in their
grasp the unwieldy prize, of which he had ob-
tained the nominal possession.
On his return to India, Lord Keane took with
him a large portion of the Bengal force, with
which he had arrived at Cabul ; the whole of the
Bombay troops made a simultaneous homeward
movenlent ; and the army, with which he had
entered Affghanistan, was thus reduced to a
miserable moiety, before any steps had been
taken to guard against surprise by the erection
of a stronghold on the approved principles of
modern warfare, or the establishment of a line of
military posts to keep open our communications
with India, on which country the army must ne-
CHAP. IX.] RETROSPECT. 191
cessarily for a long time have been entirely de-
pendent for the munitions of war. The distance
from Cabul to Ferozepore, our nearest Indian
station, is about 600 miles. Between Cabul and
Peshawur occur the stupendous and dangerous
defiles of Khoord-Cabul, Tezeen, Purreedurrah,
Jugdulluk, and Kyber, throughout whose whole
extent .food and forage are procurable only at
long intervals, and even then with much diffi-
culty.
From Peshawur to Ferozepore is the Punjab,
or country of the Seiks, traversed by five great
rivers, and occupied by a powerful nation, on
whose pacific professions no reliance could be
placed. Along this extended line of communi-
cation Lord Keane established but one small soli-
tary post, in the fort of Ali Musjed, in the heart
of the Khyber pass. He left behind him, in fact,
an army, whose isolated position and reduced
strength offered the strongest possible temptation
to a proud and restless race, to rally their scattered
tribes in one grand effort to regain their lost
independence.
I n Lord Keane's successors may be seen the
same disposition to be too easily satisfied with the
outward semblance of tranquillity. Another
brigade was ere long withdrawn from a force
already insufficient for any great emergency ; nor
was their @tion far hd&g in sabjextion a
vanquished people much improved by their esta-
blishment in an ill-clitnated and ill-
cantonment, with their CO- t stares sepl-
rated h m their lines of ddence. To d~
latter mentioned error may be d y attributed
the evacuation of Cabul and the destruction
of the army; for there can be no doubt ht,
nodthstanding all the difficulties of our position,
and the incompetence of our commanders, had the
ca~ltonments been well supplied with provisions,
the troops could have easily held out until the
arrival of reinforcements from India. The real
cause of our retreat was, beyond all question,
famine. We were not driven, but rtcrmed, out of
,
Cabul ; and although, in my relation of our mili-
tary transactions, I have been compelled by a
regard to truth unwillingly to record proceedings
,
which must be condemned by all, I do not the
less feel most sensibly that every allowance ought
1
in common justice to be made for men, who
from the very commencement of the conftict, saw
the combined horrors of starvation and a rigorous
winter frowning in their face,-no succours within
reach,-their retreat cut off,-and all their
sanguinary efforts either altogether fnritless, or at
.
best deferring for a few short days the ruin which
on every side threatened to overwhelm them.
1
CHAP. m.1 CONCLUDING REMARKS. 1 93
I n connection with this subject, I may be ex-
cused for quoting, in conclusion, the powerful
reasoning of a recent writer in the Bombay
Times : -
" When a soldier finds that his every movement
is directed by a master mind; that, when he is
apparently thrust into the greatest danger, he
finds, in truth, his greatest sec;rity; that his
march to engage an apparently superior force is
not a wild sacrifice, but the result of a well-calcu-
lated plan; when he knows that, however a p
pearances may be, he is sure to come off with
honour, for his brethren in arms are already in
progress to assist him, and will not fail to be
forthcoming at the hour appointed ; when he sees
that there is a watchful eye over him, providing
for all his wants, assisting him to overcome all his
difficulties, and enabling him to reap the fruit of
all his successes ; when he finds that even retreat
is but a preparation for victory, and, as if guided
by Providence, all his movements, though to him
incomprehensible, are sure to prove steps to some
great end ; - when the soldier finds this, he rises
and lies down in security, and there is no danger
which he will not brave. But when, in every
thing they undertake, they find the reverse of the
picture I have drawn; when they are marched,
as they imagine to glory, but find i t is only to
K
1%
I
CONCLUDlNG REMARKS. [CHLP.IL 1
slaughter ; when even victory brings no h i t , and
retreat they discover to be fiight ; when the s u p
port they hope for comes not, and they h d their
labours to be without end or purpose ; when the
provisions they look for daily are issued to them
no more, and they see all their effod paralysed ;
I
when an army of thousands finds itself delivered,
bound hand &d foot, into the hande of a man
without Bystem, foresight, or military knowledge
enough for a sergeant of police, the stoutest heart
will fail, the bravest sink ; for the soldier knows
that, do what he will, his efforts can only end in
ruin and dishonour."
CHAP.^.] .. TEE RETREAT OF THE ARMY.
195
CHAP. X.
THB PBTBEAT OF TEP ABYY, AND IT# ANNIHILATION.
January 6th.-AT last the fatal morning dawned,
which was to witness the departure of the
Cabul force from the cantonments, i n which i t
had sustained a two months' siege, to encounter
the miseries of a winter march through a country
of perhaps unparalleled difficulty, where every
mountain defile, if obstinately defended by a
determined enemy, must inevitably prove the
grave of hundreds.
Dreary indeed was the scene, over which, with
drooping spirits and dismal forebodings, we had
to bend our unwilling steps. Deep $now covered
every irich of mountain and plain with one un-
spotted sheet of dazzling white, and so intensely
bitter was the cold, as to penetrate and defy the
defences of the warmeet clothing.
No signs of the promised escort appeared: but
at an early hour the preparations commenced for
our march. A cut was made through the eastern
rampart, to open an additional passage for the
troops and baggage, a sufficient number of gun-
K 2
waggons and platform p h k s were taken doan
to the river for the formation of a tem-
bridge, and every available camel and pboo (the
whole amounting to 2000) was laden with mili-
1
tary stores, commissariat supplies, and such small
1
proportion of camp-equipage as was indispensably
I
necessary to shelter the troops in a climate of I
extraordinary rigour.
The strength of the whole force at this time
was, so far as can now be ascertained, very nearly
as follows : -
I troop of horse artillery - -
H. M.'s 44th foot - - -
5th regt. light cavalry, 2 quad. -
5th Shah'ti irreg. do. (Anderson's)
Skin~rer's horee, 1 reasala
4th irreg. do. 1 do. - -
Mission escort, or body-guard -
5th native infantry - - -
37th do. - - - -
54th do. - - - -
6th Shah's infantry - - -
Sappers and miners' - - -
Shnh's do. - - - -
Half the mountain train - -
Total
6 horse artillery guns.
9 mountein train do.
500
70 j 970 m*.
70
600
20
240
30)
- 4600 fighting men
Besides the above, the camp followers amounted,
at a very moderate computation, to about 12,000
men, besides women and children. These proved
CHAP. x.] ORDER OF MARCH. 197
f r om the very first mile a serious clog upon our
movements, and were, indeed, the main cause of
our subsequent misfortunes. I t is to be devoutly
hoped that every future commander-in-chief of
the Indian axmy will adopt decisive measures, to
prevent a force employed on field service from
being ever again afflicted with such a curse. ,
The order of march was as follows : -
H. M.'s 44th foot - - - -
Sappers and miners - - -
ke g. horse, 1 squad. - - -
3 mountain train guns - - -
The escort, with the ladies - -
The invalids and sick - - -
2 horse artillery guns - - -
Anderson's keg. horse - - -
37th native infantry, with treasure -
5th native infantry, with baggage -
54th native infantry - - -
6th Shah's infantry - - -
5th light cavalry - - - -
4 horse artillery guns - - -
The advance, un-
der Brigadier
Anquetil.
1 Main column, un-
Rear-guard, under
Col. Chambers.
All being ready at 9 A. M., the advance com-
menced moving out. At this time not a single
Affghan was to be seen in any direction, and the
peaceable aspect of affairs gave rise to strong
hopes that the chiefs intended to remain true to
their e-ngagements.
At 10 A. M. a message was brought from
Nuwab Jubbar Khan, requesting us to' defer our
x 3
198 CANTONMENTS PLUNDERED. [CHAP. I
departure another day, as his escort was not yet
ready to accompany u a By this time, however,
the greater part of the force was in motion, and
a crowd of AiTghans, who had issued from the
village of Beymaroo, impatient for plunder, had
forced their way into the northern cantonment,
or mission compound (which, owing to some mis-
take, had been evacuated too soon by t he Shah's
6th infantry), and were busily engaged in the
, work of pillage and destruction. The advance
was delayed for upwards of an hour at t he river,
having found the temporary bridge incomplete ;
and i t was noon ere the whole had crossed over,
leaving a clear road for the main column to
follow. .
The order of march, in which the troops started,
was, however, soon lost, and the camp followers
with the and private baggage, once out of
cantonments, could not-be prevented from mixing
themselves up with the troops, to the utter con-
fusion of the whole column.
The main body, with its long train of laden
camels, continued to pour out of the gate until
the evening, by which time thousands of Affghans,
the majority of whom were fanatical Ghazees,
thronged the whole area of cantonments, rending
the air with their exulting cries, and committing
every kind of atrocity. The rear-guard, being
W . X . 1 ITS BUILDINGS BURNT. 1 99
unable to restrain them, was obliged to provide
for its own safety by taking up a position outside,
on the plain, where a great quantity of the baggage
had been brought to a stand-still at the canal
(within 150 yards of the gate), whose slippery
sides afforded no safe footing for the beasts of
burden. The bridge across the river, being by
this time impracticable, occasioned additional
delay.
The Mghans, who had hitherto been too
busily engaged in the work of plunder and de-
struction to take much notice of the troops, now
began to line the ramparts, and annoy them with
a mischievous fire of juzails, under which many
fell ; and i t became necessary, for the preserva-
tion of those who remained, to spike and abandon
two of the horse artillery guns.
Night had now closed around ; but the Ghazees,
having fired the residency and almost every other
building in the cantonment, the conflagration
illuminated the surrounding count y for several
miles, presenting a spectacle of fearful sublimity.
In the mad fervour of their religious zeal, these
ignorant fanatics even set fire to the gun-carriages
belonging to the various pieces of ordnance, which
we had left in position round the works, of whose
use the Affghan chiefs were thus luckily deprived,
The General had been often urged to destroy these
K 4
2O(I ATTACK ON REAR. [CHAP. x.
guns, rather than suffer them to fall into the
enemy's hands, but he considered that it would
have been a breach of the treaty to do so. Be-
fore the rear-guard commenced its march, Lieut.
Ha r dpa n of the 5th light cavalry, with fifty rank
and file, were stretched lifeless on the snow.
Much baggage was abandoned at starting, and
much was plundered on the road. Scores of worn-
out Sepoys and camp followers lined the way,
haviug sat down in despair to perish in the snow.
I t was 2 A. M. ere the rearguard reached camp
at Bygram, a distance of only five miles. Here
all was confusion. The tents had been pitched
without the slightest regard to regularity, those
of different regiments being huddled together in
one intricate mass, mixed up with baggage, camp-
followers, camels, and hones, in a way which
beggars description. The flimsy canvass of the
soldiers' tents was but a poor protection from the
, cold, which towards morning became more and
more intense; and thousands of poor wretched
creatures were obliged to lie down on the bare
snow, without either shelter, fire, or food. Several
died during the night; amongst whom was an
European conductor of ordnance.
About twenty juzailchees, who still held faith-
fully by Capt. Mackenzie, suffered less than the
rest, owing to their systematic mode of pro-
ceeding. Their first step on reaching the ground
was to clear a small space from the snow, where
they then laid themselves down in a circle, closely
packed together, with their feet meeting in the
centre ; all the warm clothing they could muster
among them being spread equally over the whole.
By these simple means sufficient animal warmth
was generated to preserve them from being frost-
bitten ; and Capt. Mackenzie, who himself shared
their homely bed, declared that he had felt
scarcely any inconvenience from the cold. I t
was different with our Sepoys and camp followers,
who, having had no former experience of such
hardships, were ignorant how they might best
provide against them, and the proportion of those
who escaped, without suffering in some degree
from frost-bites, was very small. Yet this was but
the beginning of sorrows !
January 7th. - At 8 A. M. the force moved off
in the reverse order of yesterday- if that could
be called order which consisted of a mingled mob
of soldiers, camp-followers, and baggage-cattle,
preserving not even the faintest semblance of that
regularity and discipline, on which depended our
only chance of escape from the dangers which
threatened us. Even at this early stage of the
retreat scarcely one half of the Sepoys were fit
for duty; hundreds had, from sheer inability to
K 5
202 RETREAT CONTINUED. [CHAP. x.
keep their ranks, joined the non-combatants, and
thus increased the confusion. As for the Shah's
6th inf., i t was no where to be found; only a few
straggling files were perceptible here and there ;
and it was generally believed that the majority of
the regiment had absconded during the night to
Cabul.
At starting, large clods of hardened snow ad-
hered so firmly to the hoofs of our horses, that a
chisel and hammer would have been requisite to
dislodge them. The very air we breathed froze
in its passage out of the mouth and nostrils, form-
ing a coating of small icicles on our moustaches
and beards.
The advance proceeded onward without molest-
ation, though numerous small bodies of Affghan
horse and foot were observed hanging about our
flanks, and moving in a parallel direction with
ourselves. These were at first supposed to form
a part of our escort, but the mistake was soon
discovered by their attacking the rear-guard,
commanded by Brigadier Anquetil, consisting of
H. M.'s 44th, Lieut. Green's mountain trait1 guns,
and a squadron of irregular horse. Much bag-
gage fell into the enemy's hands, who, though in
some degree kept in check by the guns, exhibited
a bold front, and maintained a harassing fire on
onr troops, whose movements were terribly crip-
CHAP. x.] GUNS LOST. 203
pled by the disorderly multitude that thronged
the road in front. The latter being for several
minutes brought to a stand-still by a deep water-
cut which intersected the road, the mountain-train
guns endeavoured to pass clear of them by making
a short detour, in doing which they got separated
from the infantry, and - one happening at this
unlucky moment to upset - the enemy seized the
opportunity to rush forward and capture them,
before H. M.'s 44th) who saw too late their
awkward predicament, could render effectual as-
sistance.
Their re-capture might still have been effected;
could the soldiers have been prevailed upon to
make the attempt, a gallant example being shown
them by Lieut. Green and his few artillerymen,
who made a sudden charge upon the foe and
spiked the glms, but, not being supported, were
obliged a second time to abandon them. Lieut.
White, the Adjutant of H. M.'s Mth, received a
severe wound through the face on this occasion.
Brigadier Anquetil now sent to the front for
reinforcements, which, however, it was found im-
practicable to furnish, from the crowded state of
the road. The Affghan horse shortly after this
charged into the very midst of the column of
baggage, and carried off large quantities of plun-
der, creating the greatest confusion and dismay.
K 6
404 THE RETREAT C O ~ ~ W E D . [-r
Numbers fell from wounds, and still greater num-
bers from mere bodily weakness produced by cold,
fasting, and fatigue. I t was found necessary to
spike and abandon two more horse;utillery guns,
which the horses were found perfectly incapable
of clragging any further through the deep snow.
On the amval of the advance at Bootkhak, the
General, having been informed that t he rear was
in danger of being entirely cut off, ordered a halt,
and sent back all tbe troops that could be spared,
together wit11 the two remaining guns, t o drive
off the enemy, who had now assembled in great
numbers in the rear, and were proceeding to
crown some heights on the right commanding the
road. This was, however, prevented by our
troops under Brigadier Shelton, who took pos-
session of the nearer heights, and kept the enemy
in check for upwards of an hour. On this occa-
sion, Lieut. Shaw, of the 54th N. I., was wounded
severely in the thigh. Meanwhile Capt. Skinner
had fallen in with a follower of Mahomed Akber
Khan, from whom having learned that the chief
was encamped near at hand, he accompanied the
lnan to his master's presence. Mahomed Akber
now informed Captain Skinner that he had been
sent by the chiefs to escort us to Jellalabsd, and
declared that we had been attacked in consequence
of having marched contrary to their wishes. He
insisted on our halting at Bootkhak till the
following morning, in which case he would pro-
vide food, forage, and firewood for the troops ; but
he said that he should expect six hostages to
insure our not marching beyond Tezeen, before
tidings should be received of Gen. Sale's evacua-
tion of Jellalabad, for which an order had been
already despatched to that officer, in compliance
with the stipulations of the treaty.
These terms having been agreed to, the firing
ceaved for the present, and the force came to a
halt on some high ground near the entrance of
the Khoord-Cabul pass, having in two days ac-
complished a distance of only ten miles from
Cabul.
Here, again, the confusion soon became inde-
scribable. Suffice i t to say that an immense
multitude of from 14,000 to 16,000 men, with
several hundred cavalry horses and baggage cattle,
were closely jammed together in one monstrous,
unmanageable, jumbliug mass. Night again
closed over us, with its attendant train of horrors,
- starvation, cold, exhaustion, death ; and of all
deaths I can imagine none more agonising than
that, where a nipping frost tortures every sensitive
limb; until the tenacious spirit itself sinks under
the exquisite extreme of human suffering.
Janua~y 8th. -At an early hour the treacherous
206 MORE HOSTAGES. [CHAP. X.
AfFghans again commenced to molest us with their
fire, and several hundreds having assembled in
hostile array to the south of the camp, the troops
were drawn up in expectation of an attack.
Major Thain, putting himself at the head of the
44th foot, and exhorting the men to follow him,
led them boldly on to the attack ; but the enemy
did not think proper to await the shock of
bayonets, and effected a hasty retreat. I n thia
business i t is satisfactory to be able to state that
H. M.'s 44th foot behaved with a resolution
and gallantry worthy of British soldiers, and
plainly proved that, under an able and judicious
leader, they could yet redeem their injured re-
putation.
Capt. Skinner again went to communicate with
Mahomed Akber Khan, who demanded that Major
Pottinger and Capts. Lawrence and Mackenzie
should immediately be made over to him, which
was accordingly done, and hostilities again ceased;
the Sirdar promising to send forward some in-
fluential men to clear the pass from the Giljyes,
who occupied it, and were lying in wait for our
approach. Once more the living mass of men
and animals was in motion. At the entrance of
the pass an attempt was made to separate the
troops from the non-combatants, which was but
partially successful, and created considerable delay.
CHAP. x.] THE KHOORD-CABUL PASS. 207
The rapid effects of two nights' exposure to the
frost in disorganising the force can hardly be con-
ceived. I t had so nipped the hands and feet of
even the strongest men, as to completely prostrate
their powers and incapacitate them for service;
even the cavalry, who suffered less than the rest,
wer e obliged to be lifted on their horses. LI fact
only a few hundred serviceable fighting men re-
mained.
The idea of threading the stupendous pass be-
fore us, in the face of an armed tribe of blood-
thirsty barbarians, with such a dense irregular
multitude, was frightful, and the spectacle then
presented by that waving sea of animated beings,
the majority of whom a few fleeting hours would
transform into a line of lifeless carcasses to guide
the future traveller on his way, can never be for-
gotten by those who witnessed it. We had so
often been deceived by Affghan professions, that
little or no confidence was placed in the present
truce; and we commenced our passage through
the dreaded pass in no very sanguine temper of
mind. This truly formidable defile is about five
miles from end to end, .and is shut in on either
hand by a line of lofty hills, between whose pre-
cipitous sides the sun at this season could dart
but a momentary ray. Down the centre dashed
a mountain torrent, whose impetuom course the
208 RETREAT THROUGH [CHAP. x.
frost in vain attempted to arrest, though i t suc-
ceeded in lining the edges with thick layers of ice,
over which the snow lay consolidated in slippery
masses, affording no very easy footing for our
jaded animals. This stream we had to cross and
recross about eight-and-twenty times. As we
proceeded onwards, the defile gradually narrowed,
and the Giljyes were observed hastening to crown
the heights in considerable force. A hot fire was
opened on the advance, with whom were several
ladies, who, seeing their only chance was to keep
themselves in rapid motion, galloped forward at
the head of all, running the gauntlet of the
enemy's bullets, which whizzed in hundreds about
their ears, until they were fairly out of the pass.
Providentially the whole escaped, with the ex-
ception of Lady Sale, who received a slight
wound in the arm. I t ought, however, to be
mentioned, that several of Mahomed Akber's
chief adherents, who had preceded the advance,
exerted themselves strenuously to keep down the
fire ; but nothing could restrain the Giljyes, who
seemed fully determined that nobody should in-
terfere to disappoint them of their prey. Onward
moved the crowd into the thickest of the fire, and
fearful was the slaughter that ensued. An uni-
versal panic speedily prevailed, and thousands,
seeking refuge in flight, hurried forward to the
CXAP. x.] THE KHOORD-CABUL PASS. 209
front, abandoning baggage, arms, ammunition,
women, and children, regardless for the moment
of every thing but their own lives.
The rear-guard, consisting of H. M.'s 44th and
54th N. I., suffered severely ; and at last, finding
that delay was only destruction, they followed the
general example, and made the best of their way
to the front. Another horse-artillery gun was
abandoned, and the whole of its artillerymen
slain. Capt. Anderson's eldest girl, and Capt.
Boyd's youngest boy, fell into the hands of the
Affghans. I t is supposed that 3000 souls pe-
rished i n the pass, amongst whom were Capt.
Paton, Assist.-Qr.-Mast-Gen. ; and Lieut. St.
George, 37th N. I.-Majors Gri#ths, 37th N. I.,
and Scott, H. M.'s 44th ; Capts. Bott, 5th cavalry,
and Trobp, Brigadier-Major Shah's force, Dr.
Cardew and Lieut. Sturt, engineers, were
mounded, the latter mortally. This h e young
officer had nearly cleared the defile when he re-
ceived his wound, and would have been left on
the ground to be hacked to pieces by the Ghazees,
who followed in the rear to complete the work of
slaughter, but for the generous intrepidity of
Lieut. Mein of H. M.'s 13th light infantry, who,
on learning what had befallen him, went back to
his succour, and stood by him for several minutes,
at the imminent risk of his own life, vainly en-
210 LIEUT. STUET KILLED. [CHIP. I.
treating aid from the passers by. He was at length
joined by Sergt. Deane of the Sappera, with
whoae assistance he dragged his friend on a quilt
through the remainder of the pass, when he suc-
ceeded in mounting him on a miserable pony,
and conducted him in safety to camp, where the
unfortunate officer lingered till the following
morning, and was the only man of the whole
force who received Christian burial. Lieut. Mein
was himself at this very time suffering from a
dangerous wound in the head received in the
previous October, and his heroic disregard of self,
and fidelity to his friend in the hour of danger,
are well deserving of a record in the annals of
British valour and virtue.
On the force reaching Khoord-Cabul, snow be-
gan to fall, and continued till morning. Only
four small tents were saved, of which one belonged
to the General : two were devoted to the ladies
and children, and one was given up to the sick ;
but an immense number of poor wounded wretches
wandered about the camp destitute of shelter, and
perished during the night. Groans of misery and
distress assailed the ear from all quarters. We
had ascended to a still colder climate than we
had left behind, and were without tents, fuel, or
food : the snow was the only bed for all, and of
many, ere morning, i t proved the m.ncEing-sheet.
CEAP. x.] TREACHEROUS DELAYS. 21 1
It is only marvellous that any should have sur-
vived that fearful night !
Junuary 9th. - Another morning dawned,
awakening thousands to increased misery ; and
many a wretched survivor cast looks of envy at
his comrades, who lay stretched beside him in the
quiet sleep of death. Daylight was the signal for
a renewal of that confusion, which attended every
movement of the force. The General had in-
tended us to march at 10 A. M., but a large portion
of the troops, with nearly all the camp, followers,
moved off without orders at 8 A. M., and had ad-
vanced about a mile from the camp, when they
were recalled by the General, in consequence of
a communication from Mahomed Akber IChan,
who pPomised to use every elldeavour to furnish
us with supplies ; but strongly recommended us
to halt until he could make some proper arrange-
merits for escorting us down safely. There can
be no doubt that the general feeling in camp
was adverse to a halt, there being scarcely even a
native soldier, who did not plainly perceive that
our only chance of escape consisted in moving on
as fast as possible. This additional delay, there-
fore, and prolongation of their sufferings in the
snow, of which one more march would have car-
ried them clear, made a very unfavourable impres-
sion on the minds of the native soldiery, who now
21% THE LADIES AND WOUNDED [-.I
for the first time began very generally to enter-
- tain the idea of deserting; nor is i t at all as-
tonishing that these symptoms should have &st
developed themselves amongst the Shah's native
cavalry, who were, for the most part, exceedingly
young soldiers, and foresaw full well the fatal
result of all these useless and pernicious delays.
The love of life is strong in every breast.
These men had hitherto behaved remarkabIy
well, notwithstanding the numerous efforts that
had been made to detach them from their duty ;
and, if their fealty at last gave place to the in-
stinct of self-preservation, be it remembered in
their favour, that i t was not until the position of
the force, of which they formed a part, had be-
come altogether desperate beyond the reach of
cure.
Towards noon Capt. Skinner arrived in camp
with a proposition from Mahomed Akber Khan
that all the widowed ladies and married families,
whose destitute situation in camp rendered them
objects of universal pity and sympathy, should a t
once be made over to his protection, to preserve
them fiom further hardships and dangers ; in this
case he promised to escort them down safely,
keeping them one day's march in rear of the
army. The General, though not himself disposed
to place much confidence in Mahomed Akber's
CHAP. x.] GIVEN UP. 213
friendly professions, was strongly recommended
by Capt. Skinner to trust him on the present
occasion, as he felt assured that such a mark of
confjdence would be attended with happy results
to the whole force. Anxious at all events to save
the ladies and children from further suffering, the
General gave his consent to the arrangement,
and told Capt. Skinner to prepare all the married
officers and ladies to depart immediately with a
party of Affghan horse, who were in waiting to
receive them. His intention also was that all
the wounded officers in camp should have had the
option of availing themselves of the same oppor-
tunity to seek Mahomed Akber's protection ; but
the others were hurried off by the Afghans
before this had become generally known, and
only two were in time to join them.*
Up to this time scarcely one of the ladies had
tasteda meal since leaving Cabul. Some hadinfants
a few days old at the breast, and were unable to
stand without assistance. Others were so far
advanced in pregnancy, that, uuder ordinary cir-
* (:apt. Troup, Brigadier-major Shah's force, and Lieut.
Mein, H. M.'s 13th Light Inf., who went as Lady Sale's pro-
tector. -
Lieuts. Waller and Eyre were likewise suffering from
severe and painful wounds received in action at Cabul,
which totally disabled them from active service.
914 THE LADIES. [CHAP. z
cumstancea, a walk across a drawing-room would
have been an exertion ; yet these helpless women,
with their young families, had already been ob-
liged to rough it on the backs of camels, and on
the tops of the baggage yaboos : those who had a
horse to ride, or were capable of sitting on one,
were considered fortunate indeed. Most had been
without shelter since quitting the cantonment -
their servants had nearly all deserted or been
killed - and, with the exception of Lady blac-
naghten and Mrs. Trevor, they had lost dl their
baggage, having nothing in the world left but the
clothes on their backs ; those, in the case of some
of the invalids, consisted of night dremes i n which
they had started from Cabul in their litters. Under
such circumstances a few more hours would pro-
bably have seen some of them stiffening corses.
The offer of Mahomed Akber was consequently
their only chance of preservation. The husbands,
better clothed and hardy, would have infinitely
preferred taking their chance with the troops;
but where is the man who would prefer his own
safety, when he thought he could by his pre-
sence assist and console those near and dear to
him ?
I t is not therefore wonderful that, from persons
so circumstanced, the General's proposal should
have met with little opposition, although i t was a
CHAP. I] DESERTIONS. 61 5
matter of serious doubt whether the whole were
not rushing into the very jaws of death, by placing
themselves at the mercy of a man, who had so
lately imbrued his hands in the blood of a British
Envoy, whom he had lured to destruction by si-
milar professions of peace and good-will.
But whatever may have been the Becret intent
of Akber's heart, he was at this time our professed
friend and ally, having undertaken to escort the
whole force to Jellalabad in safety. Whatever
suspicions, therefore, have been entertained of his
hypocrisy, it was not in the character of an enemy
that he gained possession of the married families ;
on the contrary, he stood pledged for their safe
escort to Jellalabad, no less than for that of the
army to which they belonged; and by their un-
warrantable detention as prisoners, no lesa than
by the treacherous massacre of the force, he broke
the universal law of nations, and was guilty of
an unpardonable breach of faith. Shortly after
the departure of the married families, i t was dis-
covered that the troopers of the Shah's irregular
cavalry and of the mission escort were deserting
in great numbers, having been enticed away, as
was supposed, by Mahomed Akber, to whom a
message of remonstrance was in consequence sent.
He assured the General, in reply, that not only
would he refrain from enticing the men away, but
216 OUR IMMENSE LOSS.
that every future deserter from our camp should
be shot.
Meanwhile a large body of Mghan horse had
been observed in the vicinity of camp, in company
with the cavalry deserters ; and, fears being enter-
tained that i t was their design to attack t he camp,
a general parade of the troops was ordered for the
purpose of repelling them. The 44th foot at this
time was found to muster 100 files, and t he natire
infantry regiments, on an average, about 60 files
each. Of the Irregular Horse not above 100
1
effective troopers remained, and the 5t h Light
Cavalry, though more faithful to their salt, had
been reduced by casualties to about 70 fighting
men. On the arrival of Mahomed Akber's answer
to the General's message, the opportunity was
taken of the troops being paraded, to explain to
them its purport, and to warn them t hat every
man, who might be discovered deserting, would be
shot. At this .very. time, a Chuprassie of the
mission, being caught in the act, was instantly
shot, as an example to the rest, by order of the
General, and the crime thus received a salutary
check. Capt. Mackay, having been chosen to 1
convey to Gen. Sale a fresh order for the evacu-
ation of Jellalabad, was sent over in the evening
to the Sirdar with that view. The promises of
Mahomed Akber to provide food and fuel were
~ZUP. x.] SUFFERINGS FROM COLD. 217
unfulfilled, and another night of starvation and
cold consigned more victims to a miserable death.
January 10th. - At break of day all was again
confusion, the troops and camp-followers crowding
promiscuously to the front, so soon as the orders
for a march were given, every one dreading, above
all things, to be left in the rear. The European
soldiers were now almost the only efficient men
left, the Hindoostanees having all suffered more
or less from the effects of frost in their hands and
feet; few were able even t oL hold a musket,
much less to pull a trigger ; in fact, the prolonged
delay in the snow had paralysed the mental and
bodily powers of tlie strongest men, rendering
them incapable of any useful exertion. Hope
seemed to have died in every breast. The wild-
ness of terror was exhibited in every counte-
nance.
The advanced guard (consisting of H. M.'s 44th
foot, the sole remaining horse-artillery gun, and
about fifty troopers of the 5th cavalry) having
managed, with much difficulty, to push their way
to the front, proceeded a couple of miles without
molestation, as far as a narrow gorge between the
precipitous spurs of two hills, through which
flowed a small stream. Towards this point num-
bers of W h a n foot had been observed hurrying,
with the evident intention of opposing the passage
L
218 THE REAR ANNIHILATED. [caap. x.
of the troops, and were now found to occupy t he
height on the right in considerable force. No
sooner did the advance approach within shot, than
the enemy, securely perched on their post of van-
tage, commenced the attack, pouring a destruc-
tive fire upon the crowded column, as it slowly
drew nigh to the fatal spot. Fresh numbers fell
at every volley, and the gorge was soon choked
with the dead and dying : the unfortunate Sepoys,
seeing no means of escape, and driven t o utter
desperation, cast away their arms and accoutre-
ments, which only clogged their movements with-
out contributing to their defence, and along with
the campfollowers fled for their lives. The M-
ghans now rushed down upon their helpless and
unresisting victims sword in hand, and a general
massacre took placa. The last small remnant of
the Native Infantry regiments were here scattered
and destroyed ; and the public treasure, with all
the remaining baggage, fell into the hands of the
enemy. Meanwhile, the advance, after pushing
through the Tungee with great loss, had reached
Kubbur-i-Jubbar, about five miles ahead, with-
out more opposition. Here they halted to enable
the rear to join, but from the few stragglers who
from time to time came up, the astounding truth
was .brought to light, that, of all who had that
morning marched from Khoord-Cabul, they were
mu. ?L] MAHOMED AKBER'S PROPOSAL. 219
almost the sole survivors, nearly the whole of the
main and rear columns having been cut off and
destroyed. About 50 horse artillerymen, with
one twelve-pounderhowitzer, 70 files H.M.'s W,
and 150 cavalry troopers, now composed the whole
Cabul force ; but, notwithstanding the slaughter
and dispersion that had taken place, the camp-
followers still formed a considerable body.
The approach of a party of Affghan horse in-
duced the General to draw up his little force in
line, preparatory to an expected attack ; but on its
being ascertained to be Mahomed Akber Khan
and his followers, Captain Skinner was despatched
to remonstrate with him on the attack on our
troops, after a treaty had been entered into, and
their safety guaranteed.
In reply, he expressed his regret at what
had occurred, but said that, notwithstanding all
his endeavours, he found i t impossible to restrain
the Giljyes, who were in such a state of excite-
ment as to be beyond the control even of their
own chiefs. As a last resource, he recommended
that the few remaining troops should lay down
their anhs, and place themselves entirely under
his safeguard, in which case he could ensure their
safe escort to Jellalabad ; but that as the camp-
followers still amounted to some thousands, and
far outnumbered his own people, there was no
L 2
RRO DESCENT OF HUFT KOTUL. [m.
alternative but to leave them to their fate. To
these terms the General could not bring himself
to consent, and the desperate march was re-
sumed. Here Captain Mackay rejoined the
troops, as the Sirdar considered i t impossible for
him at present to make his way safe to JeUa-
labad.
About five more miles led down the steep de-
scents of the Hurt Kotul, into a narrow defle, or
confined bed of a mountain stream.
A ghastly sight here met the eye, the ground
being strewn with the bodies of a number of
camp-followers, with whom were several wounded
officers and soldiers, who, having gone on ahead
of the column, were attacked on reaching the
foot of the hill, and massacred. The heights
commanding the defile (which was about three
miles long) were found crowned with the enemy.
Mahomed Akber and his train had taken a short
cut over the hills to Tezeen, and were followed
by the few remaining troopers of the Irregular
Cavalry. Dr. Magrath, seeing them take, as he
thought, a wrong direction, hastened to recall
them, and was taken prisoner by a Giljye chief.
I n their passage down the defile, a destructive fire
was maintained on the troops from the heights
on either side, and fresh numbers of dead and
wounded lined the course of the stream. Briga-
mu. x.] MARCH To JUQDULLUK. a2 1
dier Shelton commanded the rear with a few
Europeans, and but for his perseveri.ig energy
and unflinching fortitude in repelling the assail-
ants, it is probable the whole would have been
there sacrificed.
The diminished remnant reached the encamp-
ing ground in the Tezeen valley at about 4 P. M.,
having lost since starting from Cabul, inclusive of
camp-followers, about 12,000 men ; no less than
15 officers were killed and wounded in this day's
disastrous march.
Although i t was now sufficiently plain that
Mahomed Akber either could not or would not
act up to his friendly professions, the General
endeavoured to renew his worse than useless
negotiation with that chief, i n the faint hope that
something might still be done to better the
situation of the troops; but Capt. Skinner, who
was deputed on the occasion, returned with pre-
cisely the same answer as before ; and as the
General could not in honour accede to his pro-
posal, all hope of aid from that quarter was at an
end.
I t was now determined to make an effort, under
cover of darkness, to reach Jugdulluk, a distance
of twenty-two miles, by an early hour on the
following morning, the principal object being to
get through the strong and dangerous pass of that
L 3
$%!2 DISASTROUS MARCH [CHAP. x.
place, before the enemy should have sufficient
notice of their intention, to occupy i t in any force.
As there existed a short cut from Tezeen to Jug-
dulluk over the hills, the success of the attempt
was very doubtful ; but the lives of all depended
on the issue ; and at 7 P. M. the little band re-
newed its forlorn and dismal march, word having
been previously sent to Mahomed Akber that it
was the General's intention to move only as far
as Seh Baba, distant seven miles. On moving off,
the last gun was abandoned, and with i t Dr.
Cardew, who had been lashed to i t in the hope of
saving him. This gentleman had rendered him-
self conspicuous from the commencement of the
siege for his zeal and gallantry, and had become
a great farourite with the soldiery in consequence,
by whom his hapless fate was sincerely lamented.
Dr. Duff, the superintending surgeon of the force,
experienced no better fortune, being leyt in a state
of utter exhaustion on the road midway to Seh
Baba. Little or no molestation was experienced
by the force until reaching Seh Baba, when a few
shots being fired at the rear, there was an imme-
diate rush of campfollowers to the front, and the
main body of the 44th European soldiers, who
had hitherto been well in advance, getting mixed
up in the crowd, could not be extricated by with-
drawing them to the rear, owing to the narrow-
ness of the road, which now traversed the hills to
Burik-ib. Bodies of the neighbouring tribes
were by this time on the alert, and fired at
random from the heights, it G i g fortunately too
dark for them to aim with precision; but the
panic-stricken campfollowers now resembled a
herd of startled deer, and fluctuated backwards
and forwards, en tnasoe, at every shot, blocking up
the entire road, and fatally retarding the progress
of the little body of soldiers who, under Brigadier
Shelton, brought up the rear.
At Burik-iib a heavy fire was encountered by
the hindmost from some caves near the wad-side,
occasioning fresh disorder, which continued all
the way to Kutter-Sung, where the advance
arrived at dawn of day, and awaited the junction
of the rear, which did not take place till 8 A. M.
January 11 th. - m e distance from Jugdulluk
was still ten miles; the enemy already began to
crown the surrounding heights, and it was now
evident that the delay occasioned by the camp
followers had cut off the last chance of escape.
From Kutter-Sung to Jugdulluk it was one
continued conflict ; Brigadier Shelton, with his
brave little band in the rear, holding overwhelming
numbers in check, and literally performing won-
ders. But no efforts could avail to ward off the
withering fire of JuzaiLs, which from all sides
L 4
aas THE RETREAT CONTINUED. [caa~. x.
assailed the crowded column, lining the road with
a
bleeding carcasses. About 3 P. M. thc advance
reached Jugdulluk, and took up its position
behind some ruined walls that crowned a height
by the road-side. To show an imposing front,
the officers extended themselves in line, and
Capt. Grant, Asst.-Adjt.-Gen., at the same
moment received a wound in the face. From
this eminence they cheered their comrades under
Brigadier Shelton in the rear, as they still
struggled their way gallantly along every foot of
ground, perseveringly followed up by their merci-
less enemy, until they arrived at their ground.
But even here rest was denied them ; for the
AEghang immediately occupying two hills which
commanded the position, kept up a fire' from
which the walls of the enclosure afforded but a
partial shelter.
The exhausted troops and followers now began
to suffer greatly from thirst, which they were
unable to satisfy. A tempting stream trickled
near the foot of the hill, but to venture down to
i t was certain death. Some snow that covered
the ground was eagerly devoured, but increased,
instead of alleviating, their sufferings. The raw
flesh of three bullocks, which had fortunately
been saved, was served out to the soldiers, and
ravenously swallowed. At about half past three
CHAP. X.] CAPT. BYGRAVE'S GALLANTRY. 225
a message having been brought from Mahomed
Akber to Capt. Skinner requesting his pre-
sence, that officer promptly obeyed the call,
hoping thereby, even at the eleventh hour, to
effgct some arrangement for the preservation of
those who survived. The harassed and worn-out
troops, in the expectation of a temporary truce
during his absence, threw themselves down to
snatch a brief repose ; but even this much-needed
luxury was denied them by their vigilant foes,
who now, from their commanding position,
poured into the crowded enclosure death-dealing
volleys in rapid succession, causing the utmost
consternation among the terrified followers, who
rushed wildly out in the vain hope of finding
shelter from the fire. At this perilous juncture
Capt. Bygrave, with about fifteen brave Euro-
peans, sallied forth in the full determination to
drive the enemy from the heights, or perish in
the attempt. Unflinchingly they charged up the
hill, the enemy retreating before them in the
greatest trepidation. The respite, however, thus
signally gained was of but short duration, for the
heroic little band had no sooner returned, than the
enemy reoccupied their posts of vantage, and
resumed their fatal fire. Thus passed the time
until 5 P.M., when Capt. Skinner returned from
his interview with Mal~onied Akber, bringing a
L 5
2% THE GENERAL SENT FOR [-. X.
measage to the General from that chief, who re-
quested his presence at a conference, and de-
manded Brigadier Shelton and Capt. Johnson as
hostages for the evacuation of Jellalabad. The
General, seeing no alternative, made over tem-
porary command to Brigadier Anquetil, and de-
parted with the two above-named officers under
the escort of Mahomed Shah Khan. The troops
witnessed their departure with despair, having
seen enough of Affghan treachery, to convince
them that these repeated negotiations were mere
hollow artifices, designed to engender confidence
in their victims, preparatory to a fresh sacrifice of
blood. The General and his companions were
received by the Sirdar with every outward token
of kindness, and no time was lost in supplying
them with the bodily sustenance they so greatly
needed ; they were likewise assured that imme-
diate arrangements should be made for the supply
of food to the famishing troops, and for their safe
escort to Jellalabad, after which they were shown
into a small tent, to enjoy, for the first time since
leaving Woord-Cabul, a quiet and refreshing
sleep.
January I Rth. - Numerous Giljye chief.., with
their attendant clansmen, flocked in from the
neighbouring parts to pay their homage to Ma-
homed Akber ; and about 9 A. M. a conference
CHAP. t] AND DETAINED. 227
was held, at which the three British officers and
all the influential chiefi were present. All the
latter were loud and profuse in their expressions
of bitter hatred against the English, and for a
long time the Sirdar's efforts to conciliate them
seemed to be unsuccessful; but the offer of two
lacs of rupees appeared at last in some measure
to appease them, of which sum Mahomed Akber
promised to advance one lac himself, and to be
security for the other. The day nevertheless
wore on without anything decisive having been
agreed upon. The General became impatient to
rejoin his force, and repeatedly urged the Sirdar
to furnish him with the necessary escort, in-
forming him a t the same time that i t was con-
trary to British notions of military honour, that a
general should be separated from his troops in
the how of danger ; and that he would infinitely
prefer death to such a disgrace. The Sirdar put
him off with promises, and at 7 P. M., firing being
heard in the direction of the pass, i t was ascer-
tained that the troops, impatient of further delay,
had actually moved OK From the time of the
General's departure the situation of the troops
had been in truth one of dark and cruel suspense,
unenlightened by one solitary ray of hope. At
a11 early hour in the morning, before the enemy
L 6
2% CAPT. SKINNER KILLED. [CHAP. L
had yet made their appearance on the hills, Major
Thain, accompanied by Capt. Skinner, rode out
a few hundred paces in the direction of Mahomed
Akber's camp, in expectation of meeting a
messenger from the Sirdar to the last-named
officer; a (3iljye soldier suddenly made his a p
pearance, and, pasaing Major Thain, who was
several yards in advance, went close up to Capt.
Skinner, and shot him with a pistol through the
face. Major Thain instantly returned to camp,
and announced this act of treachery. The un-
fortunate officer was carried inaide the enclosure,
and lingered in great pain till 3 P. M. In him
the state lost an officer of whose varied merits as
a soldier and a man it is difficult to speak too
highly. A deep feeling of awi i sh and despair
now pervaded the whole assemblage. The ex-
tremes of hunger, thirst, and fatigue were suffered
alike by all ; added to which, the Aehans again
crowned the heights and recommenced hostilities,
keeping up a galling fire the whole day with
scarcely half an hour's intermission. Sally after
sally was ma& by the Europeans, bravely led on
by Major Thain, Capt. Bygrave, and Lieuts.
Wade and Macartney ; but again and again the
enemy returned to worry and destroy. Night
came, and all further delay in such a place being
CHAP. x.] MASSACRE AT BARRIER. 229
useless, the whole sallied forth, determined to
pursue the route to Jellalabad at all risks.
The sick and wounded were necessarily aban-
doned to their fate. Descending into the valley
of Jugdulluk, they pursued their way along the
bed of the stream for about a mile and a half,
encountering a desultory fire from the Giljyes
encamped in the vicinity, who mere evidently not
quite prepared to see them at such an hour, but
were soon fully on the alert, some following up .
the rear, others pressing forward to occupy the
pass. This formidable defile is about two miles
long, exceedingly narrow, and closed in by lofty
precipitous heights. The road has a considerable
slope upwards, and, on nearing the summit, fur-
ther progress was found to be obstructed by two
strong barriers formed of branches of the prickly
holly-oak, stretching completely across the defile.
Immense delay and confusion took place in the
general struggle to force a passage through these
unexpected obstacles, which gave ample time for
the Giljyes to collect in force.
A terrible fire was now poured in fiom all
quarters, and a massacre even worse than that of
Tunga Tareekee commenced, the Affghans rushing
in furiously upon the pent-up crowd of troops
and followers, and committing wholesale slaughter.
A ~niserably small remnant managed to clear
830 THE RETREAT CONTINUED. [CHAP. x.
the barriers. Twelve officers*, amongst whom was
Brigadier Anquetil, were killed. Upwards of
forty f- others succeeded in pushing through, about
twelve$ of whom, being pretty well mounted, '
rode on ahead of the rest with the few remaining
cavalry, intending to make the best of their way
to Jellalabad. Small straggling parties of the
Europeans marched on under different officers ;
the country became more open, and they suffered
little molestation for several miles, most of the
Giljyes being too busily engaged in the plunder-
ing of the dead to pursue the living. But much
delay was occasioned by the anxiety of the men
to bring on their wounded comrades, and the rear
was much harassed by sudden onsets from parties
stationed on the heights, under which the road
occasionally wound. On reaching the Sourkab
river, they found the enemy in possession of the
bridge, and a hot fire was encountered in crossing
the ford-below it, by which Lieut. Cadet, H. M.'s
Mth, was killed, together with several privates.
January 13th. -The morning dawned as they
approached Gundamuk, revealing to the enemy,
who had by this time increased considerably in
their front and rear, the insignificance of their
numerical strength. To avoid the vigorous as-
* Appendix. t Ibid. $ Ibid.
saults that were now made by their confident
foe, they were compelled to leave the road, and
take up a defensive position on a height to the
left of it, where they made a resolute stand, de-
termined to sell their lives at the dearest possible
price. At this time they could only muster about
twenty muskets.
Some Mghan horsemen, approaching from the
direction of Gundamuk, were now beckoned to,
and an attempt was made by Lieut. Hay to enter
upon some pacsc arrangement. Hostilities were
for a few minutes suspended, and, at the invitation
of a chief, Major Griffiths, the senior officer,
accompanied by Mr. Blewitt to act as interpreter,
descended the hill to a conference.
'
Several A@hans now ascended the height, and
~ u m e d a friendly tone towards the little party
there stationed ; but the calm was of short dura-
tion, for the soldiers, getting provoked at several
attempts being made to snatch away their arms,
resumed a hostile attitude, and drove the in-
truders fiercely down. The die was now cast,
and their fate sealed; for the enemy, taking up
their post on an opposite hill, marked off man
after man, officer after officer, with unerring aim.
Parties of Affghans rushed up at intervals to
complete the work of extermination, but were as
often driven back by the still dauntless ,handful
28.2 THE REMNANT [C~L~F.. L
of invincibles. At length, nearly all being wounded
more or less, a final onset of the enemy, sword in
hand, terminated the unequal struggle, and com-
pleted the dismal tragedy. Major Wt h s and
Mr. Blewitt had been previouly led off to a
neighbouring fort, and were thus saved. Of
those whom they left behind, Captain Souter
alone, with three or four privates, was spared,
and carried off captive, having received a severe
wound in the shoulder; he had tied round his
waist before leaving Jugdulluk the colours of his
regiment, which were thus miraculously pre-
served.
I t only remains to relate the fate of those few
officers and men, who rode on ahead of the rest
after passing the barriers. Six of the twelve
officers, Capts. Bellew, Collier, Hopkins, Lieut.
Bird, Drs. Harpur and Brydon, reached Futte-
habad in safety, the other six having dropped
gradually off by the way and been destroyed.
Deceived by the friendly professions of some
peasants near the above-named town, who brought
them bread to eat, they unwisely delayed a few
moments to satisfy the cravings of hunger; the
inhabitants meanwhile armed themselves, and,
suddenly sallying forth, cut down Capt. Bellew
and Lieut. Bird; Capts. Collyer and Hopkins,
and Drs. Harpur and Brydon, rode off, and were
caap. x.] ANNIHILATED. 233
pursued; the three former were overtaken and
slain within four miles of Jellalabad ; Dr. Brydon
by a miracle escaped, and mas the only officer of
the whole Cabul force, who reached that garrison
in safety.
Such was the memorable retreat of the British
army from Cabul, which, viewed in all its cir-
cumstances,- in the military conduct which pre-
ceded and brought about such a consummation,
the treachery, disaster, and suffering which ac-
companied it, - is, perhaps, without a paranel in
history.
ROUGH NOTES
DURING
I l l PRI SONMENT I N AFFGHANISTAN.
EDITOR'S NOTICE.
THE following " rough notes " will be found a
very interesting sequel to the foregoing narrative.
They are strictly what theyprofess to be -penned
in haste, to be despatched when opportunity should
serve,, as perhaps the last proof of his existence,
which the writer might his friends for many
a day. How narrowly the Cabul prisoners did
at last escape an indefinitely prolonged captivity, is
known to all. And now that a gracious Providence
has so restored them, i t is hoped that the Author
will, at a future opportunity, be enabled to add
more particulars of an every-day life with such a
party in an Affghan prison, and to fill up the gap
which necessarily now remains between the 29th
of June, when these Notes break off, and the
Rlst of September, on which happy day they
again brekhed the air of freedom.
ROUGH NOTES
January 9th. -IN my notes on the retreat of the
British force from Cabul, I have already men-
tioned the departure, from Gen. Elphinstone's
camp at Khoord-Cabul, of the ladies, with their
husbands and other officers, to the proffered pro-
tection of Mahomed Akber Khan ; but it may be
expidient briefly to remind the reader of the
mode in which this event was brought about. I
have been assured by Major Pottinger that, on the
night of the 8th, the Sirdar, having spontaneously
entered on the subject, expressed to that officer
his serious apprehensions of the peril to which
the ladies and children would be exposed by re-
maining in camp (it being impossible to restrain
the Giljyes from a continuance of hostilities), and
240 ROUGH NOTES DURING
that, with a view to prevent further misery and
suffering to the individuals in question, he should
lose no time in proposing to the General that all
the ladies and married families might be made
over to his care, for safe escort t o Jellalabad,
keeping one march in rear of .the army. Major
Pottinger having declared his entire approval of
the Sirdar's bumane intentions, advantage was
taken of Capt. Skinner's return to camp on the
following morning, to make known the proposal
to Gen. Elphinstone ; and a small party of
Affghan horse was sent with him, to escort all
such as might be able to avail themselves of the
ofler. The General, hoping that so signal a mark
of confidence in Mahomed Akber's good faith,
might be attended with beneficial results to the
army, and anxious at all events to save the ladies
from a ~rolongation of the hardships they had
already endured, readily consented to the ar-
rangement ; and, under the peculiar circumstances
of the case, deemed it incumbent on him to send
their husbands also, more especially as some were
helpless from severe wounds. The whole a were
Lady Macnaghten,
Lady Sale *,
Mrs. Sturt, her daughter,
Capt. Boyd, wife, and child,
Capt. Anderson, dim, ditto,
accordingly ordered to depart immediately with
the Mghan escort, by whom we were impatiently
hurried off, before the majority had been made
clearly to comprehend the reason of their being
so suddenly separated from their companions in
trouble. At that time so little confidence was
placed by any of us in Mahomed Aliber's plau-
sible professions, that i t seemed as though we
were but too probably rushing from a state of
comparative safety into the very jaws of destruc-
tion ; but, placing our dependence on a watchful
Providence, we bade a hasty, and as i t proved to
many, an eternal, farewell to our friends, and
mournfully followed our conductors to the place
allotted for our reception, about two miles dis-
tant from camp. The road lay through ravines
and wilds of the most savage description, one
universal garb of snow clothing the dreary and
uninviting scene. On the way we passed seve-
Lieut. Waller *, ditto, ditto,
Lieut. Eyre*, ditto, ditto,
Mr. Ryley, ditto, ditto,
Mrs. Trevor and seven children,
Mrs. Mainwaring nnd chid,
Capt. Troup *,
Lieut. Mein a,
Serjt. Wade and family.
N.B. Those marked tbus * were wounded.
M
242 ROUGH NOTES DURING
ral hundred Giljye horse drawn up in line, as if
in readiness for an attack on the camp. Half
an hour's ride brought us to a small fort perched
on the edge of a precipitous bank, which me
ascended by a slanting slippery path, and en-
tered the gate with a mistrust by no means
diminished by the ferocious looks of the garrison,
amidst a circle of whom some of us were kept
standing for several minutes, during which our
sensations were far from agreeable. At last,
however, we were shown into a small inner court,
where, to our great relief, we found our three
countrymen, Major Pottinger, and Capts. Mac-
kenzie and Lawrence, who had been made over
as hostages at Bootkhak, and in the midst of
whom sat, to the inexpressible joy of his parents,
the youngest boy of Capt. and Mrs. Boyd, who,
having been picked up in the Khoord-Cabul pass
on the previous day by one of Mahomed Akber's
followers, had been committed by that chief to
Major Pottinger's protection. The accommoda-
tion provided for us, though the best the place
afforded, was of the most humble description, -
consisting of three small dark hovels, into which
ladies and gentlemen were promiscuously crowded
together, the bachelors being, however, separate
from the married families. But even this state
of things was heaven itself compared with the
cold and misery we had been suffering in camp
on the bare snow, and we felt most thankful for
the change. The courtyard mas all day crowded
with the ffiends and relations of Mahomed
Akber, whose bearing towards us was exceedingly
kind and courteous; but their presence obliged
the ladies to remain closely immured in their
dark cells. I n the course of the afternoon the
chief himself made his appearance, and, having
requested an interview with Lady Macnaghten,
expressed to that lady his sorrow at having been
instrumental to her present misfortunes, and his
desire to contribute to her comfort as long as she
remained his guest. But an Affghan nobleman's
ideas of comfort fall very far short of an English
peasant's ; and we soon learned to consider spoons,
forks, and other table gear as effeminate luxu-
ries, and plunged our fingers unhesitatingly into
the depths of a greasy pilao, for which several
of us scrambled out of one common dish. The
warmth of a wood * fie, though essential to pro-
tect us from the severe extremes of cold, could
only be enjoyed at the expense of being blinded
* The Afghans are in many parts of the country almost
entirely dependent for fuel on a species of Artemisin, or
southernwood, which grows everywhere in the greatest pro-
fusion, and scents the whole atmosphere with its powerful
fragrance.
nr 2
244 ROUGH NOTES DURING
and half stifled by the smoke; the bare ground
was our only bed, and postheens (or sheepskin
cloaks) our only covering ; but these and various
other inconveniences were indeed of small mo-
ment, when weighed in the balance against t he
combination of horrors we had escaped, and which
still encompassed our unhappy countrymen and
fellow soldiers in camp.
January 1 1th.-At about 11 A. M. we started,
under an escort of about 50 horse, for Tezeen,
- having been previously cautioned to use our
swords and pistols in case of need, as an attack
might be expected from the bloodthirsty Ghazees,
who thronged the road. The retreating army had
marched over the same ground on the previous
day, and terrible was the spectacle p resented to
our eyes along the whole line of road : the snow
was absolutely dyed with streaks and patches of
blood for whole miles, and at every step we
encountered the mangled bodies of British and
Hindoostanee soldiers, and helpless camp-followers,
lying side by side, victims of one treacherous un-
distinguishing fate, the red stream of life still
trickling from many a gaping wound inflicted by
the merciless Affghan knife. Here and there
small groups of miserable, starving, and frost-
bitten wretches, among whom were many women
and children, were still permitted to cling to life,
perhaps only because death would in their case
have been a mercy. The bodies of Majors Scott
and Ewart, and of Dr. Bryce, were recognized.
Numerous parties of truculent Ghazees, the chief
perpetrators of these horrors, passed us laden with
booty, their naked swords still reeking with the
blood of their victims. They uttered deep curses
and sanguinary threats at our party, and seemed
disappointed that so Inany of the hated Ferin-
ghees should have been suffered to survive. We
reached Tezeen, a distance of sixteen miles, at close
of day, where the fort of ~ a h o me d Khan received
us for the night. Here we found Lieut. Melville
of the 54th N. I., who had delivered himself up
to Mahomed Akber on the previous day, having
received some slight sword cuts in defending the
colours of his regiment. We were also sorry to
see no less than 400 of our irregular Hindoostanee
horse encamped outside the fort, having deserted
to the enemy on the 9th and 10th. They be-
longed chiefly to Anderson's-horse and the body-
guard.
January 12th.-At 10 A. M. we again proceeded
on our journey down the Tezeen valley preceded
by the cavalry deserters. At Seh Baba, striking
off from the high road, which here crosses some
hills to the right, we kept our course along the
M 3
24-6 ROUGH NOTES DURING
stream *, to the fort of Surroobee, a distance of
sixteen miles. Between Tezeen and Seh Baba
we encountered the same horrifying sights as yes-
terday; we passed the last abandoned horse-
artillery gun, the carriage of which had been set
on fire by the Ghazees, and was still burning;
the corpse of poor Cardew lay stretched beside
it, with several of the artillery men. A little fur-
ther on we passed the body of Dr. Duff, the
superintending surgeon to the force, whose left
hand had suffered previous amputation with apen-
knve by Dr. Harcourt ! Numbers of worn-out
and famished camp-followers were lying under
cover of the rocks, within whose crevices they
vainly sought a shelter from the cokl. By many
of these poor wretches we were recognized, and
vainly invoked for the food and raiment we were
unable to supply. The fate of these unfortunates
was a sad subject of reflection to us, - death ih
its most horrid and protracted form stared them
in the face ; and the agonies of despair were de-
picted in every countenance. The fort of Sur-
roobee belongs to Abdoolah Khan, Giljye. Near
Seh Baba we were overtaken by Dr. Macgrath
of the 37th N. I., who had been taken prisoner
* I have not particularised the features of such portion+
of the high road as we traversed, because they were already
well known.
IMPRISONMENT IN AFFGHANISTAN. 247
on the loth, and was now sent to join our party ;
we were thus unexpectedly furnished with medical
assistance, of which the sick and wounded had
sorely felt the want.
January 13th. -Resuming our march at 10
A. M., we crossed tlie hills in a south-east direction
towards Jugdulluk. The road in many places
was very steep, and for several miles traversed a
high table-land, presenting no signs of cultivation
or human propinquity. Within about five miles
of Jugdulluk, we again entered the high road,
along which our army had recently passed; and
the first sight that presented itself was the body
of a fine European soldier :-Again our path was
strewed with the mangled victims of war.- We
reached Jugdulluk late in the evening; and, pass-
ing by the ruined inclosure within which the
remnant of the force had so hopelessly sought
shelter, we beheld a spectacle more terrible than
any we had previously witnessed, the whole in-
terior space being one crowded mass of bloody
corpses. The carnage here must have been fiight-
ful. The body of Capt. Skinner was recognized,
and an Affghan was persuaded by Capt. Lawrence
to inter i t during the night, Mahomed Akber's
consent having been previously procured. About
two hundred yards below this fatal spot we found
three ragged tents itched for our reception, Ma-
M 4
248 ROUGH NOTES DURING
homed Akber Khan being encamped hard by ; and
we now learned for the first time that Gen.
Elphinstone, Brigadier Shelton, and Capt. John-
son, were h t a g e r in his hands, the rest of the
force having been annihilated. Mr. Fallon, an
assistant in one of the public offices, had also been
taken prisoner at the same time.
J anuay 14th. - Shortly after sunrise we pur-
sued our journey, accompanied by Akber Khan,
with his hostages, or rather pl.isoner.t, and about
600 horse, of whom the Hindoostanee deserters
formed a part. The road took a northerly diree-
tion up a gorge in the hills, and thence proceeded
for five or six miles up a narrow defile, through
which runs a small stream whose upper surface
was covered with ice. Throughout these regions
of snow the cold was intense, and we passed
several springs whose waters, arrested by the frost,
hung suspended in long glittering icicles from the
rocks, exhibiting a spectacle whose brilliancy
would, under less depressing circumstances, hare
called forth exclamations of wonder and admira-
tion, which we had not now the heart to utter.
After clearing this defile, our course became some-
what easterly, through a more open country, and
over a tolerably good road, for four or five miles,
when we entered another short defile leading over
a rocky ghat, after surmounting which the road
again improved, until we reached the steep and
difficult pass of Udruk-budruk. The ascent was
about 1000 feet, up a narrow winding path,
which, from the sharp and jagged nature of the
rocks, scarcely afforded a practicable footing for
our horses and camels. From the summit we had
an extensive view of the country to the north,
bounded by lofty snow-clad hills, the intervening
space being broken up into innumerable ravines,
whose barren surface was unrelieved by a single
tree, the only signs of vegetable life being con-
fined to the banks of the Cabul river, which
partially fertilised the narrow valley immediately
below us. Tlie descent into this plain, down the
rugged mountain side, was infinitely more tedious,
and attended with greater peril, than the previous
ascent, our jaded beasts threatening to cast their
riders with violence on the rocks at every step.
I t was dark ere we reached the fort of Kutz,
after a fatiguing journey of twenty-four miles,
which had occupied no less than ten hours. This
place belongs to Mahomed Ali Khan, Giljye, and
is situated near the right bank of the Punjsheer
river. Although the clouds threatened rain, we
were refused admittance within the walls, and
were consequently obliged to repose in the open
air, exposed the whole night to a high cutting
wind. Fortunately we had now descended into a
M 5
250 ROUGH NOTES DURING
milder climate, or the poor ladies and chi l dr en
must have s der ed severely. At midnight we
were roused up by the arrival of our daily meals,
consisting of half-baked cakes of unleavened bread,
and untempting lumps of tough mutton ; b u t o u r
servants had by this time prepared us some hot
tea, which was far more satisfactory to weari ed
travellers than the solid fare of Mghan cooks.
January 15th. -At an early hour we were
again on the move, and a few hundred yar ds
brought us to the Cabul river, which at the ford
was divided into two branches, the last extremely
rapid, and the water reaching up to our saddle-
girths; many of the ladies, being mounted on
ponies, were obliged to dismount, and ride astride
on the chargers of their m h a n acquaintance, t o
avoid getting wet. Nothing could exceed t he
politeness and attention of Mahomed Akber on
this occasion, who manifested the greatest anxiety
until all had crossed over in safety. Several men
and ponies were swept down by the violence of
the current and drowned ; a whole host of camp
dogs, whose masters had been slain, and who had
at ki ~hed themselves to us, remaining on the other
side, to our great relief. - Our course was now
north-easterly, over a barren undulating country,
for ten miles, until we reached the fertile
of Lughmanee, at the border of which we
IMPRISONMENT IN AFFGHANISTAN. 251
crossed a wide and rapid stream ; the whole plain
beyond was thickly studded with small high-
walled forts and villages, by whose inhabitants we
were greeted, en parsant, in no measured terms
of abuse, in which exercise of speech the fair sex,
I am sorry to say, bore a conspicuous part, pro-
nouncing the English ladies not only immoral in
character, but downright " scarecrows " in ap-
pearance, and the gentlemen, c L dogs," " base-
born," " infidels," " devils," with many other un-
pronounceable titles equally complimentary, the
whole being wound up with an assurance of
certain death to our whole party ere many hours
should elapse.
We also passed within a mile of a plain white
building on our left, which was pointed out as
the tomb of Lamech the father of Noah, and a
favourite place of pilgrimage with the Mghans.
At about 3 'P. M. we reached the walled town of
Turghurree, within which we found lodging,
after a march of about sixteen miles. We found
the mhan gentry most agreeable travelling
companions, possessing a ready fund of easy con-
versation and pleasantry, with a certain rough
polish and artless independence of manner, which,
compared with the studied servility and smooth-
tongued address of the Hindoostanee nobles,
M 6
252 ROUGH NOTES DURING
seldom fails to impreas our countrymen in t hei r
favour.
January 16th. -We were well pleased to
find that a day's halt had been determined
upon, which was no less acceptable for the
needful rest i t secured for man and beast, t han
for the opportunity i t afforded us of ~er f or mi ng
our Sabbath devotions, which, under present cir-
cumstances, could not fail to be a source of more
than ordinary comfort. Some disturbance was
occasioned during the day by a party of Giljyes
threatening to attack the town, and a few shots
were exchanged from both sides, by which two or
three men were said to ,have been killed. The
affray was believed to have originated in discon-
tent at the division of the spoil of our army. This
place has a small bazar, and many poor wanderers
from our camp were permitted to take refuge
within the walls, where a meal was dealt out to
them daily by some charitable Hindoo residents.
January 17th. - The Sirdar's intention had
been to keep us at Turghunee for several days;
but, owing to the hostile spirit evinced towards us
by the populace, he was obliged to hurry us away.
At 11 A. M. we accordingly resumed our journey,
under a guard of about 200 Juzailchees, whom i t
bad been necessary to collect for our protection.
Crowds of AiTghans lined the walls to witness our
IMPRISONXENT I N AFFQHANISTAN. 253
departure, and some of our small remains of bag-
gage fell a prey to the insatiable love of plunder,
for which the Giljyes are notorious. Many of
our Hindoostanee servants, who had hitherto fol-
lowed our fortunes, now left us, under the idea
that the Sirdar had decided upon our destruction.
We pursued a north-easterly course along the
valley, passing numerous forts, and at 2 A. M.
reached Buddeeabad, a distance of eight miles,
where one of the chief strongholds of Mahomed
Shah Khan, Gyljye, had been vacated for our
reception. The accommodation provided for us
here was better than we had hitherto experienced.
The fort was of a square form, each face about 80
yards long, with walls 25 feet high, and a flanking
tower at each corner. I t was further defended
by a faussebrayand deep ditch all round, the front
gate being on the south-west face, and the postern
on the north-east, each defended by a tower or
bastion. The Zuna-Khaneh, or private dwelling,
occupied two sides of a large square space in the
centre, shut in by a high wall, each wing contain-
ing three apartments raised about eight feet from
the ground, and the outer side of the prin-
cipal room, consisting entirely of a wooden frame-
work, divided into five compartments, with or-
namented panels in each, made to slide up
and down at pleasure. All the better sort
254 ROUGH NOTES DUR~NG
of houses in the country have the chief rooms
constructed in this manner, which is better
adapted for the summer than the winter season,
as i t admits of a free circulation of air, but is an
insufficient barrier against the cold. There was
no supply of water inside the fort, but a small
river ran past, at the distance of half a mile on
the south-east side, and a little stream or canal
about 100 yards outside the walls. I t is singular
that few Affghan forts have wells, notwithstand-
ing the general abundance of water near the
surface in all the cultivated valleys ; and i t would,
generally speaking, be very easy to cut off the
external supply of that necessary element, thus
forcing the garrison to surrender without expend-
ing a shot. This fort is quite new, having been
built since our occupation of the country. The
owner, Mahomed Shah Khan, is father-in-law of
Mahomed Akber Khan, and is one of the few
chiefs who never deigned to acknowledge Shah
Shooja. Insatiable avarice and ambition are his
ruling passions, and, as our conquest put an end
to his promising schemes of aggrandisement, his
hatred towards us is intense. Unhappily he ex-
ercised great influence over his son-in-law, of
whose cause in fact he was the chief supporter;
and he was generally admitted to have been the
principal instigator to the treacherous seizure of
our envoy, for whose murder, however, which was
committed in the heat and impulse of the mo-
ment, he is not answerable. Mahomed Akber
and his cousin Sultan Mahomed Khan, familiarly
called Sultan Jan, accompanied us to Buddeeabad,
where they endeavoured to arrange matters for
our comfort to the utmost of theirpower. Sultan
Jan is eminently handsome, proportionately vain,
and much given to boasting. Both he and the
Sirdar were equally kind and courteous ; but the
latter is in maker a more perfect gentleman, and
never, like his cousin, indulges in comparisons to
the disadvantage of the English, of whom he in-
variably speaks with candour and respect.
The Sirdar has been completely baulked in his
plans by the refusal of Gen. Sale to vacate Jella-
labad, on which he had by no means calculated;
even now he could not be persuaded that an
order from Major Pottinger would not be obeyed
by Capt. Macgregor, the political authority there,
although the Major constantly assured him that
with us a prisoner, however exalted his rank, not
being considered a free agent, has no power or
control over any public officers of government,
however much his inferiors in rank and station.
I have no doubt his hope was that General Sale,
yielding to the apparent necessities of the case,
would have vacated the town and forthwith re-
treated to Pesham, in which case he made pretty
sure of tbe aesistance of the Kbybemes, in com-
pleting the annihilation of the British force.
Ja#urrjl 18th. -Mahomed Akber and Sultan
Jan departed, with the professed object of at-
tempting the reduction of Jellalabad, and ap-
parently very confident of success. - As we
remained immured in the fort of Bnddeeabab
until the 11 th of April, I can scarcely ex-
pect that a minute detail of daily occur-
rences during that period would interest the
reader. It would be equally idle to note
down the various reports that reached us from
time to time of passing events The Mghans
excel all the world in the ready fabrication of
falsehoods, and those about us were interested in
keeping us in the dark as much as possible.
Nevertheless the truth could not always be con-
cealed, and we managed, notwithstanding all their
vigilance, to obtain pretty accurate intelligence
- of what was passing in the world without, though
of course it was difficult entirely to separate the
wheat from the chaff. On our first arrival we
suffered some inconvenience from the want of
clean linen, having in our transit from fort to fort
been much pestered by vermin, of which, after
they had once established a footing, it was by no
means an easy matter to rid ourselves. The first
IMPRISONMENT I N AFFaHANISTAN. 257
discovery of a real living 1-o-u-s-e was a severe
shock to our fine sense of delicacy; but custom
reconciles folk to anything, and even the ladies
eventually mustered up resolution to look one of
these intruders in the face without a scream.
The management of our household matters, as
well as the duty of general surveillance, was
committed to a Mehmandar, who generally took
advantage of his temporary authority to feather his
own nest, by defrauding us in respect to the quality
and quantity of our needful supplies. Moossa Khan
was the first agent of this kind with whom we
had to deal; and he was so little restrained by
scruples, as to pass for a most consummate rogue
even among Af&+n~. For mere ordinary civility
the unfortunate widow of the murdered envoy
found i t her interest to repay him with costly
presents of Cashmere shawls, &c., and was twice
induced to pay twenty rupees for the recovery of
a favourite cat, which Moossa Khan had actually
stolen from her himself, for the sake of the ex-
pected reward. This man was, 'nevertheless,
much trusted by Mahomed Akber, who valued
him no less for his capacity for intrigue, than for
his unscrupulous zeal in the performance of the
meanest or wickedest purposes. Such a coad-
jutor could not long be spared from his master's
side in attendance upon us, and he was accord-
!%58 ROUGH NOTES DURING
ingly relieved on the 20th January, for the pur-
pose of carrying on intrigues against the British
with the leading chieftains of the Punjab. His
successor was an old acquaintance of CapL
Troup, named Meerza Bawndeen Khan, who in
paceful times styled himself Syud, but now for
a time sunk his religious distinction i n the more
warlike title of Khan. This man had, at the
outbreak of the rebellion, been imprisoned on
suspicion of favouring the English, but was re-
leased immediately on the arrival of Mahomed
Akber, whom he had befriended during t hat
chiefs confinement at Bokhara, and to whose
fortune be now attached himself. His manners
were exceedingly boorish, . and he took little
pains to render himself agreeable, though, from
his previous conduct, there was reason to believe
that, under al l his roughness of exterior, there
lurked a secret preference for our cause. In
most respects we certainly benefited by the
change.
On the Blst we had rain, and on the BBd snow
fell on the neighbouring hills.
On the 23d there was snow in the fort itself, a
proof of the unusual eeverity of the winter, being
quite a rare occurrence in this valley.
We had hitherto received our food at the hands
cooks, who little consulted the delicacy
of the European palate. Our daily diet consisted
of boiled rice, mutton boiled to rags, and thick
cakes of unleavened dough ; which, for ladies and
children, was not the most enviable fare, whilst
the irregular hours at which i t was served up
interfered greatly with our own comforts. I t was
now arranged, however, greatly to the satisfaction
of all concerned, that our meals should be pre-
pared by our own Hindoostanee servants, the
Affghans furnishing materials.
We had a visit from the Sirdar and Sultan
Jan on the a d , the chiefhaving his head quarters
at present at Trighurree, where he was making
preparations for the siege of Jellalabad. Major
Pottinger, at his request, wrote a letter to Capt.
Macgregor, explaining all that had occurred since
the army left Cabul.
On the 24th, the Sirdar, having heard that we
were much in want of money, sent 1000 rupees to
be distributed among us.
On the 27th, he paid us another visit, his prin-
cipal object being to induce Major Pottinger to
make some alterations in the letter for Capt.
Macgregor.
January 29th. -This day was rendered a
joyous and eventful one to us, by the arrival from
Jellalabad of a budget of letters and newspapers
from our brother officers there garrisoned, who
260 ROUGH NOTES DURING
had likewise generously subscribed a quantity of
clothes and other comforts from their little store
for our use. I t was truly gratifyix~g to receive
these proofs of sympathy from our countrymen,
and to have a door of communication opened once
more with the civiliied world. Some of our
Sends managed to inform us of all that was going
on, by dotting off letters of the alphabet in t he
newspapers, which is an easy mode of carrying on
secret correspondence, and not likely to be de-
tected by an Asiatic. In this manner we became
acquainted with Brigadier Wild's failure in the
Khyber pass, and with General Pollock's march
from India: we also heard now for the first time
that Dr. Brydon had reached Jellalabad alive,
being the only officer who escaped out of the whole
army which had left Cabul. Captains Collyer and
Hopkins, with Dr. Harpur, were found dead
within four miles of the town of Jellalabad. I t is
said that, one of the ill-fated trio having been
wounded, the remaining two went back to his as-
sistance ; but for which act of charity they would
probably have been saved. I t is singular that
Dr. Brydon was mounted on a miserable pony,
and seemed, humanly speaking, one of the most
unlikely persons of the whole force to effect so
wonderful an escape. Capt. Bellew, Lieut. Bird,
and 2 or 3 other officers, with several European
soldiers, were killed near Futtehabad, having im-
prudently delayed at a village to satisfy the
cravings of hunger, and thus given the inhabitants
time to arm themselves and overpower them.
.February 15th.-The tedium of a prison life was
again relieved to-day by the arrival of Abdool
GufFoor Khan and Dost Mahomed U a n from
the Sirdar, bringing with them Major Griffiths
of 37th N. I. and Mr. Blewitt, a clerk of the pay
office, both of whom, with the Sergt.-Major of
the 37th N. I., were taken prisoners at Gundamuk,
after witnessing the massacre of almost all the
officers and men who reached that place. dapt.
Souter, H. M. 44th regiment, was led off at the
same time by another chief, having preserved
the colours of his regiment by tying them round
his waist. The Sergt.-Major was so fortunate as
to be set at liberty on the payment of certain
rupees as a ransom, and a similar arrangement
was on the point of being made for the release of
Major Griffiths and Mr. Blewitt, when they were
demanded by Mahomed Akber, and unwillingly
delivered up by their captor. Major Griffiths had
received a severe wound in the arm from a bullet.
We were also delighted to learn that Capt. By-
grave, paymaster to the force, was safe, and would
soon join us.
By command of Mahomed Akber we were this
4162 ROUGH NOTES DURING
day ordered to deliver up bur arms, which we had
hitherto been permitted to retain. The cause of
this was declared to be the discovery of a clan-
destine correspondence, carried on between Major
Pottinger and Capt. Macgregor, which had so
much displeased the Sirdar, that he sent a solemn
warning to the Major to desist from such practices
in future, significantly reminding him of the
tragical fate of Sir William Macnaghten. Major
Pottinger boldly acknowledged the fact of his
having written privately to Jellalabad, and justzed
- i t on the plea that he had given no promise to
the Sirdar to refrain from so doing. By Abdool
Guffoor Khan we again enjoyed the gratification
of receiving letters from our friends at Jellalabad.
This chief was supposed to be friendly to our
interests, having materially assisted Gen. Sale
with supplies for his force. He was evidently
much suspected by the Mghans about us, who
maintained a strict watch over every word he
uttered during his visit.
February 15th. - Captain Souter joined us to-
day, having been made over to the Sirdar by the
chief who captured him.
February 19th. -On the 6th, we had a heavy
fall of rain, since which the weather had be-
come exceedingly close. This morning i t was
remarked that an unusual degree of heat and
stillness pervaded the air. Whether these were
premonitory symptoms of what was shortly to
happen i t is impossible to determine ; but at 11
A.M. we were suddenly alarmed by a violent
rocking of the earth, which momeiitarily increased
to such a degree that we could with difficulty
maintain our balance. Large masses of the lofty
walls that encompassed us fell in on all sides with
a thundering crash ; a loud subterraneous rum-
bling was heard, as of a boiling sea of liquid lava,
and wave after wave seemed to lift up the ground
on which we stood, causing every building to
rock to and fro like a floating vessel. After the
scenes of horror we had recently witnessed, it
seemed as if the hour of retribution had arrived,
and that Heaven designed to destroy the blood-
stained earth at one fell swoop, The dwelling in
which we lodged was terribly shaken, and the
room inhabited by Lady Sale fell in, - her lady-
ship, who happened to be standing on tlle roof
just above it, having barely time to escape. Most
providentially, all the ladies, with their children,
made a timely rush into the open air at the com-
mencement of the earthquake, and entirely escaped
injury. Gen. Elphinstone, beiug bedridden, was
for several moments in a precarious position,
from which he was rescued by the intrepidity of
his servant Moore, a private of H. M. Mth, who
w& ROUGH NOTES DURING
rushed into his room and carried him forth in his
arms. - Tl ~ e poor General, notwithstanding all
that had occurred to cloud his fame, was greatly
beloved by the soldiery, of whom there were few
who would not have acted in a similar manner to
save his life. - The quaking continued for several
minutes with unabated violence, and a slight
tremor in the earth was perceptible throughout
the remainder of the day. The Affghans were,
for the time being, overwhelmed with terror ; for,
though slight shocks of earthquake are of com-
mon occurrence every year during the cold season,
none so fearful as this had visited the country
within the memory of the present generation.
We shortly learned that our fort had been sin-
gularly favoured, almost every other fort in the
valley having been laid low, and many inha-
bitants destroyed in the ruins. The town of Tur-
ghurree especially seems to have suffered severely,
scarcely a house being left standing, and several
hundreds of people having been killed in the
fall.
The first idea that struck the Affghans, after
their fears had subsided, was, that the defences of
Jellalabad must have been levelled to the ground,
and a high road made for the Sirdar and his f d-
lowers to walk in. Elevated by this hope, they
confidently attributed the late phznomenon to a
direct interposition of the Prophet in their
favour.
We all passed the night in the open air, being
afraid t o trust the tottering walls of our habi-
tation, especially as shocks of earthquake con-
tinued to occur almost every hour, some of which
were rather severe.
Pebruary 2lst. - The swords of Gen. Elphin-
stone and Brigadier Shelton were this day re-
turned to them by order of the Sirdar.
Pebruary 23d. - Capt. Bygrave joined us in
a very weak state, having suffered much from
frost in one foot, and having entirely lost the ends
of his toes. His adventures, after leaving Jug-
dulluk, were perilous, and his ultimate escape
wonderful. After starting from Jugdulluk on the
night of the 12th January, he was one of the
first to surmount the strong barriers of prickly
holly-oak which choked the pass. Collecting a
amall party of the men, who were similarly for-
tunate, he harangued them on the absolute ne-
cessity of their holding firmly together in the
bond of discipline, for the preservation of their
lives, declaring his willingness to lead them, if
they would only obey orders, and act with spirit
adequate to the emergency. The men, 'thus ad-
dressed, set up a loud cheer, and protested their
intention to be guided solely by his commands
N
866 ROUGH NOTES DURIKB
and wishes. For three or four miles they steaaly
kept their ranks, and held the pursuing e ne my at
bay ; but at length the repeated onsets of the
Affghan horsemen, who every moment increased
in number in their rear, threw the little band
into confusion, which Capt. Bygrave exerted him-
self in vain to remedy. The men would ne i t he r
hold together, nor pursue their march with that
steadiness of purpose, on which hung their only
chance of safety. Capt. Bygrave, at length fi ndi ng
all his efforts to save them unavailing, and fore-
seeing the inevitable destruction of the whol e
party, determined, as a last resource, t o strike off
the high road and .endeavour to make his way
over the hills to Jellalabad. Mr. Baness, an
enterprising merchant, who had become involved
in the di5culties that beset our army, was in-
duced to accompany him in this hazardous under-
taking. Their course for t he first few miles was
altogether north, in order t o get as.far as possible
from the track of the pursuing Giljyes : by day
sought close cover - now among long shes
in the low bed of a moutltain sheam, and now
I
mder the thick foliage of evergreen shrubs on the
6ummit of some lofty snow-clad peak. Their sole
subsistence was a few dry grains of of i
Mr. Baness had a smal l supply in his
pock% with an occasional bi t of wild tiquorke
IMPRISONMENT I N AFFGHANISTAN. 267
root, which they fortunately discovered growing
in the bed of the Soorkab river. Travelling en-
tirely at night, they experienced great difficulties
in steering a direct course among the tortuosities
of the innumerable ravines, which everywhere in-
tersected their desultory track; on one occasion
they found themselves suddenly upon the high
road, where the first sight that offered itself was
khe mangled body of an European soldier; and,
fearing to proceed along a path so lately beset
with enemies, they were obliged to avoid the
danger by retracing their steps for many miles.
Thus passed four wearisome nights and days,
during which time Capt. Bygrave, with frost-bitten
feet, and worn-out shoes, had suffered so much
from lameness, as to become more and more in-
capable of progressing; until at last, in the ex-
treme of weakness and misery, having declared to
Mr. Baness his inability to proceed further, he
endeavoured to persuade that gentleman to seek
with him the nearest village, and throw themselves
on the protection of a chief. Mr. Baness would
not, however, consent to run such hazard, and
declared his intention to pursue his course to Jel-
lalabad, if possible. Loth, however, to forsake
his companion, he urged him unavailingly to fresh
exertion; and at length, declaring that for the
sake of his large family he was bound to proceed
N 2
268 ROUGH NOTES DURING
onward without delay, he took a mournful leave
of his fellow-traveller, and, after twice returning
in the forlorn hope of prevailing on him to move,
departed on his solitary way. Left to himself,
under such helpless circumstances, Capt. Bygrave
almost yielded to despair,- but, after a prolonged
slumber, found himself strong enough to walk, or
rather crawl, a few miles further. The second
pight after Mr. Baness's departure brought him
to a Giljye village*, where, lying concealed till
morning under some straw in a cave, he gave him-
self up to the h t person who came near, who,
being easily conciliated by the offer of some gold,
conducted him to a neighbouring hut ; - hence,
after partaking of some refreshment, he was led
to the residence of the chief of the village, Nizam
Khan, who received him hospitably, and treated
1
him with the utmost kindness for several days,
when he was delivered up to the Sirrlar, then en-
camped at Charbagh, i n the neighbourhood of
Jellalabad, There he found the chief actively em-
ployed in preparing gun-ammunition for the pro-
posed siege ; several of our captured guns were
there, from which the Affghan smiths managed
to extract the spikes ip a very few hours.
March 3d. -- Severe shocks of earthquake every
* Kutch Soorkab, four miles north of Gundamuk.
IMPRISONMENT I N AFFaHANISTAN. 269
day. The Meerza, professing to have received an
order from the Sirdar, insisted on searching the
boxes of Lady Macnaghten and Capt. Lawrence.
Unfortunately, the former had a great number of
valuable Cashmere shawls, all of which were criti-
cally examined in order to ascertain their probable
worth : but much disappointnlent was evinced
that no jewels were forthcoming, as i t was gene-
rally believed that her ladyship possessed a large
assortment. Nothing was taken from her on this
occasion; but i t might easily be foreseen that such
booty would ere long prove an irresistible tempta-
tion to our Giljye friends.
A cruel scene took place after this, in the ex-
pulsion from the fort of all the unfortunate Hin-
doostanees, whose feet had been crippled by the
frost. The limbs of many of these poor wretches
had completely withered, and had become as black
as a coal ; the feet of others had dropped off from
the ancle ; and all were suffering such excruciating
torture as it is seldom the lot of man to witness.
Yet the unmerciful Giljyes, regardless of their
sufferings, dragged them forth along the rough
ground, to perish miserably in the fields, without
food or shelter, or the consolations of human
sympathy. The real author of these atrocities
was generally believed to be the owner of the
N 3
N O BOUGH NOTES DURING
fort, Mahomed Shah Khan. The Meaza, how-,
ever, though compelled to carry the order into
effect, re-admitted several of the unfortunate vic-
tims at night.
M a d 10th. -In consequence of the repeated
earthquakes, we deserted the hotme, and took up
our abode in some small wooden huts constructed
by our servants. To-night our slumber was broken
by loud cries of " Murder !" which were found t o
proceed fiom Lady Sale's Hindoostanee ayah,
whom one of her admirers, in a fit of jealousy, had
attempted to strangle in her sleep. The wretch,
failing in his purpose, jumped over the wall, which
was about twenty feet high, and, being discovered
in the morning, narrowly escaped a hanging by
Lynch law at the hands of the Meerza, who was
with difficulty persuaded to alter his sentence to
banishment fiom the fort.
March 1 1 th. - Dost Mahomed Khan, accom-
panied by Imam Verdi, arrived h m the Sirdar,
and held a long private conference with Major
Pottinger. I t was generally supposed that Ma-
homed Akber had made some overtures to the
Illdian government relative to the return of the
Ameer his father. Reports were in circulation of
the fall of Ghuznee, which afterwards proved too
true. We also learned on good authority that
Khoda Bux Khan, a powerful Giljye chief, had
IMPRISONMENT I N AFFQH.4NISTAN. 271
left the Sirdar, whose cause seemed on the de-
cline.
March 12th. - Very heavy rain. Heard of
Gen. Sale's sortie from Jellalabad in consequence
of a supposed attempt on the part of the Affghans
to mine the walls ;-many of the enemy killed.
March 13th. - A report abroad, which turned
out true, that the Sirdar was wounded in the left
arm by one of his own followers, who had been
bribed with a lac of rupees by Shah Shooja. The
assassin was ripped open, according to Affghan
custom in such cases.
March 18th. - The Meerza was this day re-
called by the Sirdar, and his place filled by the
.
Nmir of Mahomed Shah Khan, Saleh Mahometl.
We heard of the murder of Shah Shooja by the
hand of Shooja Dowla, eldest son of Nuwab
Zeman Khan, who shot the unfortunate old kin3
with a double-barrelled gun, as they were pro-
ceeding together to the royal camp at Seah Sung.
I t is a curious fact that Shah Shooja was present
at the birth of his murderer, to whom he gave his
own name on the occasion.
March 2182.-The illhabitants of this valley are
said to be removing their families and property to
the hills for safety. The Safees, a mountain
tribe in the neighbourhood, were said to have
N 4
272 ROUGH NOTES DURING
created much alarm, having been bought over by
Capt. Macgregor.
. March 24th. -The Nazir endeavotired t o iind
out what amount of ransom was likely to be paid
for us, and gave out that two lacs of rupees would
be accepted. This, however, seemed to us all a
mere ruse to fathom our purses, and he was re-
ferred to Capt. Macgregor for the information he'
required.
March 29th.- Sooltan Jan is said to have gone
to oppose General Pollock with 1000 horse.
April 1st.-We received letters from Jellalabad,
by which we learned that Gen. Pollock had au-
thorised Capt. Macgregor to ransom us. A
severe thunder storm at night.
d ' l 3rd. - Heard of the destruction of t he
27th N. I. at Ghuznee, and of another successful
sortie made by Gen. Sale at Jellalabad, by which
he obtained a large supply of cattle.
April 9th.-Tidings brought of Mahomed Ak-
ber's camp 'at Char Bagh having been surprised
by Gen. Sale, when his whole force was completely
routed, three guns recaptured, and the Sirdm
himself and friends barely managed to save them-
selves by flight. The arrival of Mahomed Shah
Khan this evening confirmed this joyful inte'ili-
gence. It had been reported to us this morning
at a cou~icil of chiefs held at Tirghume on
the previous night, much debate had taken place
regarding the disposal of their prisoners, when i t
was proposed by some to destroy us at once : our
anxiety was, therefore, intense all day, until the
Khan by his friendly manner somewhat reassured
us. He had a long interview with Major Pot-
tinger, who endeavoured to propose tenns for our
release ; to which, however, the Khan would not
listen for a moment, but said we must follow the
Sirdar's fortune, who would start for the hills
early next morning.
April 10th. -We were all ready for a start at
an early hour, but no camels came 'till 3 P. M. ;
meanwhile a scene of pillage went on, in which
Mahomed Shah Khan acted the part of robber-
chief. His first act was to select all our best
horses for himself, after which he deliberately
rummaged Lady Macnaghten's baggage, from
which he took shawls to the value of 50001. He
next demanded her jewels, which she was obliged
reluctantly to give up, their value being estimated
at 10,0001., or a lac of rupees. Not satisfied
even with this rich plunder, he helped himself
freely out of Capt. Lawrence's boxes to every
thing that took his fancy ; after which, being well
aware of the poverty of the rest, he departed.
Fortunately my own riding horse was spared,
through the kind interference of the Meerza who
N 5
.
274 ROUGH NOTES DURING
accompanied the Khan. This characteristic little
drama having been acted, the signal was gi ven for
our departure, the European soldiers bei ng left
behind, with a promise of release on the payment
of a ransom.
I t was a treat to get free of the dismal hi gh
walls, within which we had been so long i mmur ed ;
and as we had arrived in the depth of wi nt er,
when all was bleak and desolate to the eye, t he
universal verdure with which returning spring
had now clothed the valley struck us with all t h e
force of magic. We had proceeded about four
miles on the road towards Alishung, when our
progress was arrested by a few horsemen, who
galloped up waving their hands joyfully, and
crying out Shabash !" C6 Bravo !" " All is
over ! the Feringhee army has been cut up in t he
Khyber Pass, and all their guns taken by Sultan
Jan!" The mutual joy of the Mghans seemed
so perfectly sincere, that, notwithstanding the im-
probability of the story, we felt almost compelled
to believe it, especially when the order was given
to return forthwith to our old quarters at Bud-
deeabad. On the way back the new comers
entered into full-length particulars regarding the
alleged defeat of our army. The Ensofiyes,
they said, had agreed to take three lacs of rupees
for the free passage of our troops through the
Khyber, of which half was paid in advance. They
had no sooner fingered the cash, than they laid a
trap 6 t h Sultan Jan for the simultaneous attack
of the front and rear of the army in the nar-
rowest part of the pass, which had proved entirely
snwessfu1.-We found the poor soldiers delighted
to see us again ; for, having heard several shots
fired after our departure, they imagined we had
all been killed. We were not long in discovering
that the story we had heard was all a hoax, the
real cause of our sudden .return being some dis-
ppte among the chiefs, in consequence of which
an attack on our party was anticipated ; but we
were told to hold ourselves in readiness for a
fresh start on the followirig morning.
The whole population of the valley are in the
greatest consternation for fear of an attack from
the English force, and are bundling their families
up to the hills for safety.
April 11 th. -We were off again at 1.2 A. M.
The f i s t three miles were along the Tirghurree
road, after which we struck off to the hills to the
right. Our course now became westerly, and
skirting the base of the hills for four or five miles,
*
we crossed a low ridge into the cultivated valley
of Alishung; where, after crossing a rapid, we
passed close by Mahomed Akber Khan on the
N 6
276 ROUGE NOTES DFRINO
I
opposite bank, seated in a nalkee on a knoll by
the road side. He looked ill and careworn, but
returned our salutes politely. A little further
in we found three tents pitched for our r ecept i on,
on which we had scarcely time to take s hel t er ere
the rain fell in torrents, and continued all night.
A very indifferent dish of tough mutton consti-
tuted our meal for the day. I n the course of the
erening Sultan Jan amved in camp, with only
about thirty horsemen left of the thousand with
whom he went forth to battle; the rest had all
fled. He seemed grievously crest-fallen, and,
unlike the Sirdar, exhibited his malice and spl een
by cutting our acquaintance. Mahomed Akber,
with the liberality which always marks the really
brave, invariably attributes his own defeat to t he
fortune of war, and loudly extols the bravery ex-
hibited by our troops led on by the gallant Sale.
The guard around our camp consisted entirely of
Seiks, under a Musulman Rajah, who, having
been banished many years ago by Runjeet Sing,
was befriended by Dost Mahomed Khan, the then
ruler of Cabul, to whose family he has ever since
-
attached himself. He was a splendid looking
fellow, with very prepossessing manners, and 'ex-
pressed himself much disgusted with the Aff'ghans,
who took advantage of his going out to fight a t
Char Bagh to plunder his camp. Altogether, he
seemed well disposed towards us, which, under
our present circumstances, was cheering.
Ap&Z 12th.-At our first starting this morning
the bachelors were separated from the married
families and ladies, and we went off by different
roads, This sudden separation being very dis-
agreeable to us all, Capt. Lawrence besought the
Sirdar to permit us to proceed together as before.
He also remonstrated with him for dragging the
ladies and children with him all over the country,
when they were so ill able to bear up against
fatigue and exposure, representing that i t would
redound more to his honour to release them at
once. . Mahomed Shah Khan, who was present,
upon this flew into a rage, and declared that
" wherever he went we must all follow ; that if
our horses failed, we must trudge on foot; and
that if we lagged behind, he would drag us along
by force." He is the greatest enemy we have,
and seems at present to govern the Sirdar com-
pletely. He was, however, taken to task by Ma-
homed Akber for his rudeness, and we were al-
lowed to proceed all together, as heretofore.
The road lay among low hills over a sandy soil,
with several slight ascents and descents, one as-
cent being rather steep and long. About half
way we crossed a small stream, and, after travel-
ling about twelve miles, found the camp pitched
278 ROUGH NOTES DURING
in a narrow ravine, through which flowed a rivulet,
the ground being covered with bunches of tall
reeds, to which the Mghans set fire a t night.
Two old goats were sent us for dinner, which, not
being fit to eat, we returned, and were afterwards
supplied with an awfully tough old sheep in ex-
change.
April 13th.-The road again lay over steeps.
On the left we saw the pass of Udruk-budruk in
the distance. We gathered quantities of a curious
herbaceous plant, the under surface of whose
leaves was covered with a beautiful crimson
dewy-looking substance, which the Affghan ladies
use as rouge. About twelve miles brought us
to a small scantily-cultivated valley, in which
were two small forts partially ruined by the earth-
quake. The inhabitants enjoy the credit of being
the greatest thieves in the whole country, so they
must be bad indeed. Our whole march was about
fourteen miles.
April 14th.-At starting we crossed the pass
of Bad-push, the ascent up which was not less
than 1600 feet over a very steep and rocky road.
The descent was less abrupt and comparatively
short. On these hills grew. the hollyoak, wild
almond, and a terebinthaceous tree called Khin-
juck, yielding a fragrant medicinal gum, which I
imagined might be the myrrh or balsam of com-
merce. I t is, at dl events, in great repute among
the mh a n s , who find i t efficacious for sabre.
wounds. A species of mistletoe grew in great
profusion on its branches ; the flower somewhat
resembled that of the mango, and the young
leaves were oblong, lanceolate, opposite, alld
slightly serrate. An evergreen shrub, with a
jasmine-like flower, was very abundant.
Following the course of a stream about six
miles, we reached the left bank of the Cabul river,
which here issued from between some precipitous
hills with an exceedingly rapid current. About
a hundred yards from the bank stood a small fort.
We crossed on a raft of inflated bullock hides,
the motion of which we found exceedingly plea-
sant. The horses crossed by a ford some distance
higher up and about four miles round. On the
right bank we found Mahomed Akber in his
nalkee, to whom we paid our respects. The stream
is about a hundred yards broad, and a few Aff-
ghans swam their horses over, though with some
difficulty. The river is not navigable from this
to Jellalabad, owing to the number of rapids and
whirlpools.
April 15th.- We were kept waiting until noon
for our horses, and in the mean time were amused
by seeing a herd of cattle swim over the river; in
attempting which they were all carried violently
280 ROUGH NOTES DURINO
down a rapid, and several, failing to effect a land-
ing, were obliged to return along the bank and
make a second effort. No camels were br ought '
with kujawurs for the weak ladies and the sick,
who were accordingly forced to ride on horseback.
Poor Gen. Elphinstone, who left Buddeeabad i n
a most precarious state of health, was much shat -
tered by the fatigues of travelling, and seemed to
be gradually sinking to the grave. The r oad ran
for a mile along the bank of the river, and-t hen
suddenly turned up a ravine to the right. Two
miles more led to a valley communicating wi t h
that of Tezeen, about a mile up which we en-
camped outside the fort of Surroobee, where we
had previously halted on the 12th of January.
Here was one of the mountain-train guns which
had been captured on the retreat. We found
that our Hindoostanee servants, who remained
behind here, had been well treated by Abdoolah
Khan, but the majority had died from the effects
of frost-bites.
I
April 16th.-Mahomed Akber fortunately found
it convenient to halt here, which proved season-
i
able both to man and beast ; but we were' told to
I
expect a long journey unto the hills in the neigh-
I
bourhood of Tezeen, where i t is the Sirdais in-
tention to conceal us. An Aehan, lately arrived
from Cabul, informed us that the city was divided
into two great parties, of whom the Dooranees
and Kuzzilbashes formed one, aud the Barukzies
and Giljyes the other.
April 17th. -Another halt enabled us to enjoy
a quiet Sunday. The Sirdar and a portion of his
followers paid a visit to some neighbouring chiefs,
but his people were deserting him fast. The
Giljyes have been trying hard to excite the fears
of the peasabtry against the English by tales of
our cruelty and oppression.
April 18th. - Baking been warned last night
to be ready for a march at dawn of day, we were
all on the alert ; but, after waiting a long time
for orders to mount, we received a message from
Mahomed Akber that we should await his re-
turn.
April 19th. -It rained hard all night and con-
tinued to pour the whole day, but we were
obliged, nevertheless, to march sixteen niiles to
Tezeen. The road was up a narrow valley the
whole way, crossing a stream twice before reach-
ing Seh Baba, which we passed half way, after
which we crossed the stream continually. At
Seh Baba we encountered a putrid smell fiom
the decomposed bodies of those who fell on the
retreat, which lined the whole road. I n some
places we passed high piles of human bodies still
fresh, the remains probably of those unfortwate
$89 ROUGH NOTES DURING
bei ng who, having escaped the knives of the
Ghazees, had struggled for existence unt i l they
sunk under the combined miseries of fami ne a n d
exposure. The Affghans informed us that many
had been driven to the miserable expedi ent of
supporting life by feeding off the flesh of their
deceased comrades ! - From Seh Baba to Tezeen
is one continued rise, the valley being about half
a mile broad and shut in by lofty heights on both
sides. The stream is at this season a per f ect
torrent from the melting snow. We passed se-
veral encampments of the wandering Giljyes,
whose flocks browsed on the neighbouring hills.
We were all wet to the skin in spite of our
posteens, or sheep-skin cloaks, and, on arriving
at Mahomed Khan's fort at Tezeen, we found it
so much dilapidated by the earthquake as t o
&rd only the most scanty accommodation. The
poor la&es were at first crammed into a small
dirty room, filled with A%han women, where
they sat i n their dripping clothes until, after
much delay and trouble, they were accommodated
with a separate apartment. As for' the gentle-
men, they had to scramble for shelter in a dark
confined hovel, Capt. Mackenzie and myself pre-
ferring to p ~ s the night in a stable with our
horses, the rain dripping over us until morning.
This day's exposure decided the fate of Gen.
IMPRISONMENT I N AFFOHANISTAN. 283
Elphinstone, who reached the fort in a dying
state.
Captain Mackenzie received an intimation this
night of the Sirdar's intention to send him on a
mission to Gen. Pollock's camp at Jellalabad.
April 2OtA.-It rained the whole day, and,
having nothing dry to put on, we were more un-
comfortable than ever. Mrs. Waller was delivered
of a daughter. This was the fourth addition to
our number of captives ; Mrs. Boyd, Mrs. Riley,
and a soldier's wife named Byrne, having been
confined during our sojourn at Buddeeabad. A
peculiar Providence seemed on all occasions to
watch over the ladies, and nothing surprised us
more than the slight nature of their sufferings on
these occasions.
There was a severe shock of earthquake again
to-day. These shocks have always appeared to
me to be in some way connected with heavy rain
beforehand.
April 2l st . - Some tents having been pitched
outside the fort, the whole of our party removed
into them, with exception of the Wallers, our-
selves, Gen. Elphinstone, Major Pottinger, Capt.
Mackenzie, and Dr. Magrath, to all of whom per-
mission was given to remain for the present in the
fort. Atta Mahomed Khan, the owner of the
place, expressed to us much annoyance at the
2% ROUGH SOTES DURING
conduct of his kinsman Mahomed Shah Khan in
stirring up the rebellion, and hinted at his own
desire to be on friendly terms with o u r govern-
fnent. I t seems he was promised remunerat i on
by Capt. Macgregor for the damage done to his
property by Gen. Sale's force in October 1841,
to the fulfilment of which pledge he still l ooked
forward.
The Sirdar was holding a levke to-day, a t which
Major Pottinger was present, when he burst into
a violent passion, and declared that his own
countrymen had basely deserted and betrayed
him, although he had all along acted entirely at
the instigation of the chiefs at Cabul, especially
in the murder of the Envoy and the destruction
of our army ; yet these very men now refused t o
support him ; and he solemnly swore that, if ever
he had the power, a severe example should be
made of them.
A part of the outer wall fell to-day from the
effects of yesterday's earthquake. At night the
ladies of Mahomed Shah Khan, and other chiefk
who were travelling in our company, invited Mrs.
Eyre to dinner. She found them exceedmgly
kind in manner and prepossessing in outward ap-
pearance, being both well dressed and good look-
ing. They asked her the old question as to the
gender of the Company Sahib, and were greatly
IMPRISONMENT I N AFFGEANISTAN. 885
wonderstruck t o learn that England was governed
by a woman. They expressed the utmost dread
of Capt. Macgregor, whom they regard in the
samex formidable light in 'which a child does the
giant af a n k r y tale.
April Bd. -A great bustle was created at an
early hour this morning by the ammval of a mes-
senger from the Sirdar to Dost Mahomed Khan,
who was awakened from his slumbers in the
General's room and immediately humed away.
Our fellow-captives in camp marched shortly after-
wards for the Zanduk valley, near the Aman
Koh, about eight miles south of Tezeen. There
was apparently some apprehension entertained of
a surprise from Cabul, as we ourselves were hur-
ried off at about 9 A. M. to a small fort two miles
higher up the valley, whither the Sirdar had pre-
ceded us. This sudden movement was a death-
stroke to the General, who, though so weak as to
be unable to stand, was made to ride on horse-
back the whole way.
April R3d. - Mahorned Akber received about
6000 rqpees from Cabul, probably sent by his
uncle, Nuwab Jubbar Khan. Futty Jung, the
eldest son of the murdered monarch, retained
possession of the Bala Hissar, and demanded
from the Sirdar that all the European prisoners
should be rendered up to him. The residents of
486 ROUGH NOTES DURING
Cabul, we learned, were deserting the city i n
great numbers, from dread of our army, and all
efforts to induce the people to oppose Gen., Pol -
lock's advance were fruitless. This i nformat i on
at once decided the Sirdar to send-Capt, Mac-
kenzie to treat with Gen. Pollock without further
delay, and that officer was warned to be in r e d -
ness to start at a moment's notice.
Some one having told the Sirdar that I could
draw faces, he sent for me on that pretence ; but
to my surprise pumped me for half an hour on
artillery matters, being Fery inquisitive as t o t h e
manufacture of fuses and port-fires, the mode of
throwing shells from mortars and howitzers, and
the mode of regulating the length of fuze for
different distances, on all which subjects I en-
lightened him just enough to render his darkness
visible. Before I went, he requested me to take
tbe likeness of one of his followers, and of a
fgvourite Arab horse, and, though my performance
was very indifferent, he expressed himself pleased.
I was afterwards called to examine a sextant
which had been just brought to him: i t was
greatly damaged, but I explained its uses ; after
which, finding he could make no better use of it,
he made me remove the coloured glasses, which
he proposed to convert into spectacles to preserve
his eyes from the glare,
About 7 P.M. Major-Gen. Elphinstone breathed
his last,- a happy release for him &om suffering
of mind and body. Deeply he felt his humilia-
tion, and bitterly regretted the day when he re-
signed the hdme-born pleasures of his native land,
to hazard the high reputation of a proud name in
a climate and station, for which he was consti-
tutionally unfit. Of his merits I have already
spoken at large in another place ; but i t is due no
less to the memory of the dead than to the large
circle of living friends and relatives, who, I feel
assured, will mourn his loss, that I should record
how, to the very last moment of his being, he
-
exhibited a measure of Christian benevolence,
patience, and high-souled fortitude, which gained
him the affectionate regard and admiring esteem
of.all who witnessed his prolonged sufferings and
his dying struggles, and who regarded him as the
victim less of his own faults, than of the errors of
others, and the uilfathomable designs of a mys-
-
terious Providence, by whom the means are
always adapted to the end. The Sirdar seemed to
have been u~conscious of the General's extreme
danger until this morning, when he offered, too
late, to grant him his release. Had he listeued
to the advice of those who wished him well, he
would have adopted this generous course at Bud-
deeabad; but his chief supporters were interested
288 ROUGH NOTES DURING
in keeping him in the dark, and in frustrating
every scheme that tended to reconcile him to the
British nation ; so the timely counsel was unheeded.
His eyes at last were opened to the truth; and he
now endeavoured to make all the amends in his
power by offering to send the remains for honour-
able interment at Jellalabad. At 8 A. M. Capt.
Mackenzie departed on his mission, which related
principally to the release of the ladies and
children.
April 25th.- A rude framework having been
constructed by an Mghan carpenter, the Gene-
ral's body, after being well covered up in felt
blankets, was packed in it, and the vacant spaces
filled with the highly scented leaves of wormwood.
At 2 P. M., all being ready, it was slung across the
back of a camel, and sent off under a small guard
of Giljyes, accompanied by one of the European
soldiers who attended the deceased, whom the
Sirdar thought likely to pass unnoticed in the
common costume of the country. The Sirdar
afterwards invited us all to sit with him outside
the fort. Whilst we were engaged in conversa-
tion, a messenger arrived with letters from Loo-
dianah, informing him that his family had been
starved for a whole week. On being told the
aontents, we all immediately pronounced the
whole a mischievous fabrication; upon which the
Sirdar somewhat bombastically proclaimed his
disregard whether it were true or false, for that
the destruction of his whole family should not
alter his resolutions. He then resumed the pre-
vious conversation as if nothing had occurred, in
the course of which he told me that the daily loss
of life, by the fire of the cantonment guns during
the siege, was between thirty and forty, but he
declared that the shells fired from the Bala Hissar
into the city did little or no damage to life or
property.
ApriE 26th. - Sad to say, the poor General's
body was interrupted on its journey near Jug-
dulluk. It seems that the party in charge, on
approaching the camp of some wandering Giljyes,
were challenged, and thought that tlie best way
to avoid discovery would be to assume confidence,
and come to a halt there for the night. The
European soldier was covered up with blankets,
and warned to remain quiet until morning. About
10 P. M., however, he was roused by a tumult of
angry roices, in which the words c g Feringhee"
and " Kafir " were frequently repeated. A rush
was shortly after made to where he was lying, and
the covering being snatched from off his head, he
was immediately attacked, and wounded in the
arm with a sword, nothing saving his life but the
thick blanket of felt which covered his body, and
0
f290 ROUGH NOTES DURING
the interposition of a chief who hurried him off
to his t ent The bigotted savages next stripped
the body of the General, which they pelted with
stones, and would have burned, but for the remon-
strances of the Sirdar's men, who threatened them
with the vengeance of their master. Mahomed
Akber's annoyance was great on receiving these
awkward tiding, but he lost no time in deipatch-
ing as large a party as he could spare, to rescue
the European and re-pack the body.
In the course of conversation with Major Pot-
tinger, the Sirdar asked him whether he would
take his oath that he had never written anything
to Jellalabad, but what had come to his (the
Sirdar's) knowledge. The Major maintained a
significant silence, but shortly afterwards, having
occasion to remark that, if the treaty had been
fulfilled, not a British soldier would now have
remained in Mghanistan, the Sirdar emphatically
asked him if he would swear to the truth of what
he uttered, to which the Major readily consenting,
the Sirdar seemed now for the first time to believe
what he had before utterly discredited, and looked
around upon his followers with an .expression of
face which seemed to say, What a miserable
fool then have I been ! "
April 27th. - The Sirdar started with Major
Pottinger to visit our fellow-prisoners in the
Zanduh valley. Lieut. Waller and myself, in the
course of our evening stroll, amused ourselves in
observing some Juzailchees firing at a mark about
100 yards distant: almost every shot was well
directed, but they were all so dilatory in loading,
that a British soldier could have fired four or five
shots to their one.
The European soldier who accompanied the
General's body returned this evening, having been
rescued by the Sirdar's men from the savages who
had detained him; and who now professed great
contrition for having offended the Sirdar. The
body, after being re-packed, had been forwarded
on its way to Jellalabad.
AFE 28th. - A cossid, bearing a letter from
Capt. Conolly to Gen. Pollock, was intercepted
and severely beaten by the Sirdar's men, and de-
tained a prisoner until his return.
April 29th. - A wild sheep was brought in,
having been shot in the neighbouring hills. It s
horns resembled those of a common ram, but its
face and general outline were not unlike an ante-
lope, though more coarse and clumsy.
Ap~i l 30t h. - The Sirdar and Major Pottinger
returned from their excursion. Whilst at Zan- -
duh, Ameenoollah Khan and other chiefs sent to
demand that Major Pottinger should be delivered
up to him, or twelve lacs of rupees in his stead.
0 2
292 ROUGH NOTES DURING
The bills given by the Major on the Indian Go-
vernment, payable on the safe arrival of the
Cabool force at Jellalabad, having been disho-
noured, the chiefs have been endeavouring to
extort the money from the Hindoo shroffs.
May 1st. - To-night the Sirdar sent us a large
supply of English letters and newspapers which
had just come from Jellalabad, where Capt.
Mackenzie had arrived safe. These were the first
letters we had received for eight months, and we
sat up the greater part of the' night devouring
their contents.
May Rd. - I was sent for by the Sirdar to
examine a cavalry saddle, as he was anxious to
know whether it was made of hog's skin. I told
him i t was a difficult question to decide, as both
hog and cow skins were used, and could not
easily be distinguished. As he gave me some
knowing winks, and was evidently most unwilling
that a good saddle should be sacrificed to the
religious scruples of his moolah, who was seated
in the room, I voted in favour of the cow; and,
as Lieut. Waller afterwards declared himself on
the same side, the Sirdar, considering that two
witnesses decided the point, determined to hold
his own : and I believe in his heart he cared little
about the natural history of the hide, so long as
it suited his purposes.
IMPRISONMENT I N AFPGHANISTAN. 293
Late at night I was roused from bed by a mes-
sage from the Sirdar, who pressed me hard to go
and fight for him at Cabul against Ameenoollah
Khan and Futty Jung. He was perfectly aware,
he said, that no Englishman would serve against
his own countrymen, but that in this case his
enemies were equally hostile to the British; so
that, in fighting for him, I should be serving my
own country. I replied that I was already badly
wounded and tired of fighting for the present;
that I was quite incompetent, from my ignorance
of Affghan politics, to form an opinion as to the
rights and merits of the case; and that, even
were I ever so much disposed to embrace his
cause, no English officer or soldier could legally
take arms under a sovereign power, without hav-
ing first obtained the consent of his own Sovereign.
My refusal apparently annoyed him a good deal,
and I was obliged to repeat i t several times before
be would allow me to return to rest.
'
May 3d.-The Wallers and ourselves started
for the Zanduh valley after breakfast, and had
just mounted our horses, when Capt. Mackenzie
made his appearance on his return from Jellala-
bad. His mission had not opened any immediate
prospect of release for us, though the negotiation
was, on the whole, of a friendly nature. After
the exchange of a few words, he was hurried off
0 3
294 ROUGH NOTES DURING
to the Sirdar, and we pursued our way to Zan-
duh. The road amended the hills in a south-
easterly direction, and was very steep and un-
dulating for about three miles, when i t descended
into the narrow bed of a stream, one of the rami-
fications of the Tezeen valley, up which our
course was southerly for the rest of the march.
Four or five miles further brought us to camp,
where the valley was a little wider, with culti-
vated steppes of land, on which the tents were
pitched. Snow was still lying on the neighbour-
heights, and about four miles further south the
lofty mountain peak of Aman Koh reared its
pine-clad crest. On our way we noticed the
juniper, which universally prevails in these hills,
attaining in some spots the size of a goodly tree.
Here and there we passed a few stunted pines,
which might be considered as mere stragglers
from the neighbouring forests of Sf l ed Koh.
The wild almond, a showy and fragrant species of
Edwardsia; a shrubby crataegils-looking plant,
covered with blossoms ; the yellow dog-rose, the
sweet-brier, the artemisia, the white tulip, and a
very pretty iris, constituted the prominent bota-
nical features of the road over which we travelled.
We found our friends enjoying themselves during
the heat of the day, in shady bowers formed of
juniper : the climate seemed delightful.
IMPRISONMENT I N AFFGHANISTAN. %5
May 4th.-The Sirdar sent for Capt. Troup to
accompany him and Major Pottinger to Cabul.
Capt. Mackenzie was to start immediately on a
second mission to Jellalabad.
May 5th. - The English hostages at Cabul
were said to be under the protection of a Syud,
son of the chief maolah ; and Ameenoollah Khan,
having endeavoured to seize them, had been
driven into the Bala Hissar by Nuwab Zeman
Khan, and his house in Cabul burned to the
ground.
May 7th.-A hard frost this morning ! the
shrubs and herbs within reach of the spray of the
stream being covered with large icicles. Our
keeper now was Mahomed Rufeek, whose family
resides at Candahar. From his pleasirlg manners,
and constant civility and kindness, he soon be-
came a general favourite. I took a long walk
with him to-day among the hills south of canip;
we saw nothing but juniper trees, anemones, and
wild geraniums, the spring having only just com-
menced in that elevated region. The rocks were
chiefly of limestone, with vertical strata.
May 8th.-This morning I was agreeably sur-
prised by an Mghan bringing some of my own
books and sketches for sale, of which I imme-
diately possessed myself.' I n the forenoon a few
drops of snow fell ! The last three days were
0 4
296 ROUGH NOTES DURING
bitterly cold, and we enjoyed a blazing fire at
night.
May 9th. -Enjoyed another walk in the hills,
with a fine bracing air, and a magnificent view in
the direction of Hindoo Khoosh, whose everlast-
ing snows and jagged peaks bounded the scene.
On our return we heard the cheerful note of the
cuckoo. I found a curious parasite on the ju-
niper.
May 10th.- Capt. and Mrs. Anderson were
agreeably surprised by the arrival of their eldest
girl from CabuL I t will be remembered that
she was lost in the Khoord-Cabul pass during the
retreat on the 8th of January; since which she
had been an inmate of Nuwab Zeman Khan's
family, where she was treated with the greatest
possible kindness. She had been taught to say
'' My father and mother are infidels, but I am a
Mussulman." Capt. Troup, who had obtained
her release, wrote word that he and Major Pot-
tinger were in Nuwab Jubbar Khan's house at
Cabul; that the city was in a most unquiet state,
and the opposite parties fighting every day, the
Cabulees siding alternately with whichever side
paid them best. At night, a note was received
fiom Major Pottinger, who had just witnessed an
engagement between the Barukzyes and Doo-
ranees, in which the former were victorious; but
he described the affair as more ludicrous than tra-
gical, having been a forcible representation of the
' c battle of spurs."
May 12th.- Capts. Boyd, Waller, and myself,
accompanied by two Affghans, ascended some
lofty hills to the west. Some Giljjes of the Jub-
bar Khail overtook us, and offered to escort us
to Jellalabad. Our attendants, instantly taking
alarm, hurried us away homewards. We had a
fine view of Hindoo Koosh to the north, and Suf-
feed Koh to the south. At the height of ROO0
feet above our camp, the husbandmen were only
now ploughing the ground, whilst in the Zandu
valley, immediately below, the crops were green.
We descended by the bed of a stream, on whose
steep sides a species of wild onion grew abun-
dantly. A beautiful fritillaria was also common ;
and an asphodelous plant bearing a gigantic spa-
dix of yellow flowers, which I took for an orni-
thogalum. On our return, Dost Mahomed Khan,
who was encampednear us, ratedMahomiedRufeek
severely for allowing us to stray so far. This chief
is a thorough boor in his ideas and manners, a~i d
is always exhibiting some mean and silly suspicion
of our intentions : had i t depended on him, we
should all have been shut up in dark cells or nar-
row cages long ago. *
May 16th. - Capt. Mackenzie returned frorn
0 5
238 ROUGH NOTES DURING
his second trip to Jellalabad, where Gen. Elphin-
stone's body had arrived safe and been interred
with due military honour. I t does not appear
that much way done towards effecting our release.
The terms the Sirdar proposed to Gen. Pollock
for our release were, - that he should be made
governor of the Lughman province, and be ex-
empted fiom attendance at court, and uncontrolled
by our political officers. Of this proposal Gen.
Pollock ~eryproperly took not the smallest notice.
I t seems that a despatch from the Sirdar, in which
an offer was made to release the ladies and chil-
dren unconditionally, which was sent after Capt.
Mackenzie, did not reach him, having been inter-
cepted, as was supposed, by Mahomed Shah
Khan. Gen. Nott was expected to march fcr
Cabul from Candahar on the 17th instant.
May 17th. - Capt. Mackenzie left for Cabul,
to communicate the result of his mission to the
Sirdar.
May 18th. - Dost Mahomed Khan was much
struck by hearing Mahomed Rufeek read a Per-
sian translation of the " Sermon on the Mount"
out of Gladwailis " Moonshee." He was fervent
in his admiration of the Lord's Prayer, as well as
of several other passages ; and the injunction to
pray in private seemed to throw light on our
apparent neglect of outward observances. Cor-
poral Lewis of H. M. 44th, who had been kept
a prisoner s t Tezeen in the fort of Khooda Bux-
khan, was allowed to visit our camp to-day. The
poor fellow had been starved and illtreated by his
savage captors, until he made an outward pro-
fession of Mahomedanism, when he received the
name of Deen Mahorned, and was made to attend
prayers daily with the faithful.
May 20th. - A beacon-light was burning all
night on the hill above us, and pickets were
thrown out in all directions. I t was supposed
that a chuppiio, or night surprise, was expected.
May 22d. - Our horses arrived from Cabul,
for which city we received notice to march next
morning.
May 23d. - Marched about 9 A. M. Three of
us obliged to walk for want of horses. Ladies
travelled in kujawurs, laden on mules. We
retraced our former track down the bed of the
stream, and across the hills, to the fort where
Gen. Elphinstone died. A few miles of descent
made a great difference in the climate and the
progress of vegetation ; the wild roses were every
where in full bloom, and, with other gay flowers,
scented the air and enlivened the scene. We
crossed a branch of the Tezeen valley ; a short cut
over the hills led us to the foot of the Huft
Kotul, or hill of seven ascents. Here we once
o 6
300 ROUGH NOTES DURING
more encountered the putrid bodies of our
soldiery, which thenceforward strewed the road as
fhr as Khoord Cabul, poisoning the whole at-
mosphere. A little beyond Kubbur-i-jubbar we
passed two caves, on opposite sides of the road,
full as they could hold of rotten carcasses. Thence
to Tungee Tureekee the sight became worse and
worse. Mahomed Rufeek asked me whether all
this would not excite the fury of Gen. Pollock's
army; I told him he need not be surprised if
every house in Cabul were levelled to the groudd.
From the last-mentioned spot we turned off the
high road to the left, and, passing a large ruined
village, arrived at the fort of Khoord Cabul, -
where we had previously lodged on the 9th of
January, -after a fatiguing march of twenty-two
miles. The contrast between the surr:mer and
winter aspect of the valley immediately below the
fort was striking : the whole now presenting one
red field of cultivation.
May 24th. - Again on the move at 9 A. M.
The Khoord Cabul pass being now absolutely
impassable from the steuch of dead bodies, we
took the direct road tovJards Cabul, having
Alexander the Great's column in view nearly the
whole way. The first three or four miles mere
over a barren plain, when the road entered among
hills crossing a ghat of moderate height into a
IMPRISONMENT I N AFFaHANISTAN. 301
valley about three miles in width, in the middle
of which we halted for half an hour at a de-
liciously cool and clear spring, which supplied a
small tank or pond: just above this, crowning
the hill to the left, stood a ruined Grecian tope.
Resuming our way, we again entered some hills,
the road making a continuous ascent for about a
couple of miles to Alexander's pillar, one of the
most ancient relics of antiquity in the East, and
co~~spicuously situated on the crest of a mountain
range which bounds the plain of Cabul on the
south-east. I t stands about seventy feet high ;
the shaft is of the Doric order, standing on a
cubic pedestal, and shrmount,ed by a sort of urn.
As we reached this classic spot, a view of almost
unrivalled magnificence burst suddenly upon our
sight. At the distance of some two thousand feet
below, the whole picturesque and highly cultivated
valley of Cabul was spread before us like a map :
the towering mountain ranges of Kohistan and
Hindoo Khoosh, clad in a pure vesture of snow,
bounded the horizon, at the distance of nearly
a hundred miles. The Bala Hissar was dimly
discerilible in the distance, from whose battlements
the roar of cannon broke ever and anon upon the
ear, betokening the prolongation of the strife
between hostile tribes and ambitious chiefs. The
descent was very long and tedious, and the road
302 ROUGH NOTES DURING
about midway very steep and bad. On the way
down another Grecian pillar was discernible
among the hills on the left. The rocks were
chiefly of m.icaceous schist, and a dark stone re-
sembling basalt. The gum-ammoniac plant grew
here; the young flower was clustered together
not unlike a small cauliflower. I t is an um-
belliferous plant, growing to the height of six
feet, and in its general appearance and mode of
growth resembling an heracleum. I t has a strong
disagreeable.scent, which reminded me slightly of
assafcetida. The gum exudes plentifully, and is
at first milky, but afterwards turns to yellow, and
has a bitter nauseous taste. The .plant is called
by the A&hans gund?ZB, and the gum is sold in
the Cabul bazar under the name of feshook.
At the foot of the hill we rested at a tank or
pond supplied by a large spring which gushes
from under the rock; another ruined Grecian
tope crowned a small eminence at a few hundred
yards' distance. The road now skirted the base
of the hills to the left for about four miles, when
we reached the fort of Ali Mahomed, Kuzzilbash,
distant three miles from Cabul, and close to the
Logur river, where we were accommodated for
the night, having marched altogether about.
twenty miles.
May 25th. -The ladies of Ali Mahomed having
removed to a neighbouring fort, we occupied their
apartments, which lined two sides of an inclosed
square, and were very commodious, and decidedly
tlie best quarters we have yet enjoyed. The
valley about here is thickly studded with forts,
and very highly cultivated.
May 26th.-Captain Troup paid us a visit.
He told us the Sirdar was living in the outskirts
of the city about two miles from us, that Amen-
oollah Khan had joined* him, but that Futty
Jung still held out in the Bala Hissar, in hopes
of being soon relieved by the arrival of our army.
Mahomed Akber is desirous to obtain possession
of t he citadel principally on account of the trea-
sure within it, as he never professed to dream of
resisting our arms. He earnestly desired to be
on friendly terms with the British government,
and often said that he wished he had been so
fortunate as to become acquainted with the
English in early life, as he had been filled with
prejudices against them which had greatly in-
fluenced his conduct, but which he now saw
to be unfounded. I t seems that Gen. Pollock
offered on his own responsibility to release the
ladies and children of his family from their con-
finement, but in his present precarious state of
life the Sirdar has declined the offer.
Hundreds of Hindostanees crowded the streets
304 ROUGH NOTES DURIKU
I
of Cabul begging for bread, which was daily
I
served out to them by Nuwab Jubbar Khan and
Zeman Khan. The civility of all classes to the
I
European hostages and prisoners in and about
Cabul was remarkable.
May 27th. -We all received permission t o
walk in the adjacent garden, and the gent l emen
were allowed to bathe in a running calla1 near
tlle fort, which, now that the weather had become
sultry, were real luxuries.
M a y 29th.- Shuja Dowlah, the assassin of
Shah Soojah, paid us a visit. He was a handsome
quiet-looking man, whom few would have pe s s e d
to be the perpetrator of such a deed. H e tried
I
hard to persuade us that the Shah had played us
. false, and that he had committed a praiseworthy
I
action in getting rid of him.
The murder was
committed at the instigation of Dost Mahomed
Khan, Giljye, by way of retribution for the at-
tempt on Mahomed Akber's life at Charbagh
by an agent of Shah Soojah; but the act i s much
reprobated by all classes at Cabul, and by no one
more, than than the Nuwab Zuman Khan, who
has banished Shuja Dowlah from his house ever
since.
30th. - Shah Dowla, another son of
Nuwab Z~r n a n Khan, paid us a visit, and in-
quired Part i earl y if we weie well treated by t he
Sirdar. We were informed that, in consequence
of the Sirdar having demanded the persons of the
Naib Shereef Mohun Loll and the late wuzeer,
the Kuzzilbash had risen in a body against him,
and declared their intention to hold their part of
the city until the arrival of our troops. We
heard a great deal of firing to-night, and the ex-
treme vigilance of our guard led us to suppose
that the Sirdar's affairs were not prospering.
Dost Mahomed Khan arrived in the fort at
night.
May 31st. - Guns were heard all night, and
we were refused permission to leave the fort, as
usual, to-day. Mahorned Rufeek, we were sorry
to learn, had incurred suspicion, from his family
having aided Gen. Nott at Candahar. He deter- '
mined to throw up the Sirdar's service in conse-
quence.
June 1st. - Dost Mahomed Khan departed for
the city accompanied by Mahomed Rufeek. Per-
mission was again given us to go into the garden,
and to bathe in the canal as before.
June Ed. - Intelligence was brought us that
Gen. Nott had obtained a victory at Kelat-i-
Giljye, in which 2000 of the enemy were killed.
June 3d. - I t was reported that Futty Jung
had offered a large reward to any one who would
seize and escort us all to the Bala Hissar. The
306 ROUGH NOTES DURING
Sirdar made a fierce attack on the Bala Hissar
in the evening, and a brisk cannonade was kept
up on both sides for several hours, but without
any decisive result.
June 4th. - Capt. Troup paid us a visit, bring-
ing with him several necessaries, for which we had
previously written to the Sirdar. I t was believed
in the city that one of the bastions of the Bala
Hissar had been mined, but that the Sirdar was
deferring its explosion in the hope that he might
succeed without it, being unwilling to injure the
defences of the place. But this report was pro-
bably set abroad'for the purpose of intimidating
the defenders, of whom only two men had been
wounded during the whole siege up to this date.
A messenger arrived this morning from Jellala-
bad with letters for Futty Jung and Lady Sale.
From the latter we learned that Gen. Pollock had
written to Mahomed Akber, declaring i t to be
contrary to the laws of nations to make war against
women and children, which i t was hoped might
shame him into the release of that portion of his
prisoners, who came under the benefit of the rule.
Hopes began to be entertained of the safety of
Dr. Grant of the Goorkha regiment, who was
supposed to be concealed in Cabul. A shock of
earthquake felt to-day.
June 6th. -About 5 P. M. a good deal of C n g
was heard, and our garrison was in a state of great
excitement. Futty Jung said to have sallied
from the Bala is& and carried off a quantity
of Mahomed Akber's military stores and camels.
At night we heaid that the Sirdar had seized
Amenoolah Khan, whom he suspected of in-
triguing with Futty Jung, probably with good
foundation. The Khan said to be worth 18
lacs of rupees, which i t was the Sirdais in-
tention to make him disgorge. Amenoolah Khan
was originally the son of a camel-driver, but by
dint of his talents, bravery, and cunning, rose to
be one of the most powerful nobles in the country.
.
The late Ameer Dost Mahomed Khan feared and
suspected him so much as to forbid him to enter
Cabul. He possessed the whole of the Logur
valley, and could bring 10,000 men into the field.
The accession of such a man to his cause was of
much importance to Mahomed Akber, and his
seizure was a dangerous step, being likely to pro-
voke the hostility of his sons. Amenoolah Khan
was the chief instigator of the rebellion, and of
the murder of Sir Alexander Burnes ; after wliich
he lent the weight of his influence to each party
alternately, as i t suited his purpose. Such a va-
cillating wretch was not long likely to escape
retributive justice.
Jupe 7th. - Contradictory reports were in cir-
308 ROUGH NOTES DURING
culation all day.
Some sffirm the Bala H k a r to
have been taken ; others that the Sirdar had SUS-
tained a ruinous defeat, and that he was engaged
in plundering the city, prior to taking flight. That
something extraordinary had occurred was evident
from the mysterious deportment of the Mghans,
and their anxiety to prevent our receiving any
communication from without. A parcel of useful
articles arrived for us from our good friends at
Jellalabad, but every thing was opened by t he
guard at the gate, who gave us only what t hey
chose, and seized all the letters, to send t o t he
Sirdar. There was no firing from the Bala Hissar
to-day as usual. The climate in this part of the
valley we found delightfully cool a n d pleasant,
which may have arisen in part from the luxuriant
cultivation round about. The most common trees
are the poplar, willow, mulberry, and oleaster, or
sinjut, the bright silvery foliage of the latter con-
trasting strikingly with the deep green of the rest,
and its flowers scattering a powerful and delicious
perfume through the surrounding air. Purple
centaurias adorned the corn fields, and a handsome
species of hedysarum, with a lupin-like flower,
e n ~ ~ ~ ~ n e d the border of every field and water-
course ; whilst a delicate kind of tamarisk or-
namented the banks of the nei ghbouri q river.
In the garden I found a very beautiful ore-
banche growing parasitically from the roots of
the melon.
June 9th. - Capt. Mackenzie paid us a visit.
From him we learned positively that the Sirdar
sprung a m i ~ e under one of the towers of the
Bala Hissar, near the Shah Bazar, on the 6th ;
that the storming party was driven back with a
loss of sixty men killed, and that much damage
was done in the adjacent part of the town by the
explosion. On the following day, Futty Jung,
hdi ng his people disinclined to support him any
longer, made terms with Mahomed Akber and the
other chiefs, giving up a tower in the Bala Hissar
to each, and himself retaining possession of the
royalresidence. Thus the citadel was now divided
between the Dooranees, Barukzyes, Gilgyeq and
Kuezilbashes, represented by Futty Jung, Ma-
homed Akber, Nuwab ~ e n l a n Khan, Mahomed
Shah Khan, and Khan Shereen Khan. A curious
arrangement, truly! and calculated to facilitate
the union of parties already jealous of each other,
and each of whom had, doubtless, an eye to the
rich treasure of money and jewels still in Futty
Jung's possession. The story of Amenoolah
Khan's seizure turned out to be untrue. There
was a violent quarrel a few days back between
the two old Nuwabs, Zeman Khan and Jubbar
Khan, when the former seized hold of the latter's
310 ROUGH NOTES DURING
beard, exclaiming, You are the fellow who Grst
brought the Feringhees into the country, and to
whom, therefore, all our troubles may be at-
tributed." Abdool Glujas Khan, the son of
Jubbar Khan, being present, drew a pistol a nd
threatened to shoot Zeman Khan for t he indig-
nity offered to his father. Mahomed Akber sat
by the whole time, laughing heartily at t h e
scene.
June 10th. - A smart shock of earthquake
during the night.
June 1 lth. - Capt. Mackenzie returned to the
city. I t was supposed he would start in a day or
two on a fresh mission to Jellalabad.
June 20th. -Heard from Capt. Mackenzie t hat
Mahomed Akber was waging war with Nuwab
Zeman Khan ; also that Gen. Nott had seized the
person of Sufter Jung, the rebel son of Shah
Shooja-001-moolk. Ali Mahomed assured us that
i t was the Sirdar's intention shortly to march to
Jellalabad, to pay his respects to Gen. Pollock !
From other quarters we heard that he meditated
carrying us all off to the banks of the Oxus.
June 2l st . - We were told by Ali-Mahomed
that the Sirdar had taken Nuwab Zeman Khan
and his two sons prisoners, and, after seizing all
his guns, treasure, and ammunition, had released
them again.
June 25th. - Capts. Mackenzie and Troup
paid us a visit. Mahomed Akber's late success-
ful conflict with Nuwab Zeman Khan had rendered
him, for the time being, supreme in Cabul. The
Kuzzilbashes had tendered their unwilling sub-
mission, and had delivered up Mohun Loll, who
was immediately put to the torture. Jan Fishan
Khan, the laird of Purghman, a staunch friend of
the British, had been obliged to fly for his life,
his two sons having been slain in the fight.
Khoda Bux Khan, and Atta Mahomed Khan,
Giljyes, fought against Mahomed Akber on this
occasion. Both Capt. Troup and Capt. Mackenzie
had since been allowed to visit the hostages, whom
they found in the house of the Meer Wyze, the
chief moollah of the city, to whose protection they
had been committed by Zeman Khan, in conse-
quence of the desperate efforts of the Ghazees to
slay them. During their stay in the good Nuwab's
house, their lives were in constant danger from
those fanatics, who on one occasion actually
forced their way into the building to accomplisll
their purpose, and were only hindered by the
Nuwab falling on his knees, casting his turban
on the ground, and entreating them not to
dishonour his roof by committing violence to those
under its protection. Before sending them to the
Meer Wyze, which was done at night, he took
312 ROCGH SOTES DURING
the precaution to line the streets with hi s o m
\
folloaers, with strict orders to fire upon every one
who should so much as poke his head out of a
window; and he not only accompanied t h e m him-
self, but sent his own family on ahead. Capt
Conolly had obtained convincing proof t h a t Shah
Shoojah originated the rebellion with a view to
get rid of Burnes, whom he detested, and of
several chiefs, whom he hoped to see fall a sacri-
fice to our vengeance; little anticipating the
ruinous result to himself and to &. Poor Burnes
had made but few friends among the chiefi, who
now never mention his name but in terms o f the
bitterest hatred and scorn. He seems to have
kept too much aloof from them; thus they had
no opportunity of appreciating his many valuable
qualities, and saw in him only the traveller, who
had come to spy the nakedness of the land, in
order that he might betray i t to his countrymen.
The King considered 'him as a personal enemy,
and dreaded his probable succession to the post
of Envoy on the departure of Sir W. Macnaghten.
I
Of Mahomed Akber Khan, I have been told
,
from an authentic source that, on the morning of
the departure of the army from Cabul on the
6th of January, he and Sultan Jan made their
I
appearance booted and spurred before the assembly
of chiefs, and being asked by Nuwab Zeman Shah
where they were going, Mahomed Akber replied,
'' I am going to slay all the Feringhee dogs, to be
sure." Again: on the passage of our troops
through the Khoord-Cabul pass on the 8th, he
followed with some chiefs in the rear, and in the
same breath called to the Giljyes in Persian to
desist from, and in Pushtoo to continue, fhing.
This explains the whole mystery of the massacre,
and clears up every doubt regarding Mahomed
Akber's treachery.
June 26th. -We were somewhat surprised this
day by the arrival of the European soldiers, whom
we had left behind at the fort at Buddeeabad, and
of whom we had been told that they had been
ransomed by Gen. Pollock. They all looked
miserably thin and weak, and were delighted,
poor fellows, to join fortunes with us once more.
The tale of their treatment and sufferings after
our departure was a doleful one. It,would seem
that we had scarcely left the place, ere Mrs. Wade,
wife of Sergeant Wade, declared her intention
to forsake her husband, and turn Mahomedan !
Every argument was used to dissuade her from
carrying her disgraceful purpose into effect ; but
the devil seemed to have established absolute
sway over her mind, and that same night she be-
took herself to Mahomed Shah Khan's nazir
(steward), who was in charge of the prisoners.
P
314 BOUGH NOTES DURING
Next morning she appeared in Affghan cost ume,
and thenceforward took evev opportunity t o use
her newly acquired influence to destroy and p e r -
secute her unhappy countrymen, whom she ac-
cused of having entered into a conspiracy t o s ei ze
the fort and murder 6 e guard. This was imme-
diately made a pretext for stripping them of t he
few clothes and necessaries they possessed.
A few rupees, which the officers had sub-
scribed before starting, for their messing, they
were made to give up; and Mrs. Wade having
informed the nazir of three gold pieces, which she
herself had sewn up some time previously in her
husband$ boot, the poor man was obliged to pro-
duce them. Treachery worse than this has pro-
bably never been recorded of a woman ; English
ladies will, therefore, learn with some satisfaction
that she was barn of an Indian mother, and had
passed the years of her childhood almost entirely
among low-born natives, from whom she could
imbibe nothing but vice and cunning. Shortly
after this, about 1200 rupees were offered by Gen.
Pollock as a ransom, and would have been ac-
cepted, but for a mischievous hint from Mrs.
Wade, that a much larger sum would be given,
if dmmnded- The consequence was that, Gen.
Pollock refusing to raise his terms, the negoti-
ation was and the pow soldiers, after
having had their hopes raised high of a speedy
deliverance, were again cast into the depth of
despondency. Their allowance of food was now
shamefully reduced, their lives were not unfie-
quently threatened, and, to crown their.misery, a
virulent fever broke out, and would have proba-
bly proved fatal to them all, had not Mr. Blewit,
a quondam apothecary, administered a copious
bleeding, with a common pen-knife, to each pa-
tient on the first appearance of the symptoms.
This, and starvation, providentially did the work
of physic, and all gradually recovered. Mahomed
Akber's order arriving for their removal to Cabul
rescued them from the hands of the brutal nrrzir,
who, i t was now discovered, had beell defrauding
the prisoners of the greater part of the provi-
sions for which he had all the time been charg-
ing exorbitantly on their account. Mahomed
Akber either was, or professed to be, very much
astonished to hear of the shabby treatment they
had experienced; but we never heard that any
punishment was inflicted on the rascally nazir.
Mrs. W. having accompanied the latter to Cabul,
the story of her apostacy and profligacy became
notorious throughout the whole city, and was
spoken of in a tone of evident triumph by the
chiefs in Durbar. The effect was mischievous in
the extreme. Loose jests at the expense of
P 2
316 ROUGH NOTES DURING
Englishwomen were sported with malicious intent
by men, who, from the intense hatred which they
bore us, would gladly have made all the prisoners
the victims of their brutality.
July 1st. About this time Capt. Mackenzie
was taken alarmingly ill, and Mahorned Akber,
now called the Wuzeer, made choice of Capt.
Troup as his agent to negotiate with Gen. Pol-
lock, warning him to be ready for a trip to
Jellalabad at an early date.
The advance of our army from that quarter
was now confidently expected; and i t was be-
lieved that Mahomed Akber had actually made
every preparation for a fi ght to Toorkistan. I t
was also privately intimated to Capt. Troup by
a friendly chief that, in the event of the Wuzeer
bending his course thither, he would not be per-
mitted to take us with him.
July 10th. We were agreeably surprised by
n visit from Capt. John Conolly, who, as we now
learned for the filit time, had, with the other five
hostages, been purchased by the Wuzeer from the
Meer Waix for four hundred sequins.
In delivering them up for so paltry a sum, the
high priest of Cabul proved himself a fool as
well as a villain. On first receiving charge of
them from Newab Zeman Khan, he swore by all
that was holy that he would never give them up
IMPRISONMENT I N AFFGHANISTAN. 317
to their enemies. Had he been disposed to keep
his word, so great is the influence attached to his
sacred office, that not all the threats or attempts
of Akber could have wrested them from him ; and
he would have eventually secured for himself a
splendid reward from the British government. By
selling them to Akber he not only cast an inde-
lible stain of infamy on the faith of Islam, but
made a very wretched bargain for himself in
a mere mercenary view. The Wuzeer lost no time
in removing his new purchases to the Bala Hissar,
whither he was also obliged to betake himsew a
few days ago, at the pressing solicitations of the
chiefs. There he allowed Futty Jung to retain
the empty title of king within the precincts of
his palace, whilst he himself, as Wuzeer, wielded
the power, and enjoyed all the solid advantages
of a real monarch.
Capt. ConoUy informed us that Akber lately
held a Council of Chiefs, when Major Pottinger,
who was (unknowu to most of them) in an ad-
joining room, overheard a Kohista~ee chief pro-
pose that all the English prisoners should be
slain, on hearing which Akber immediately got
up in a rage, and turned the man out of the
assembly.
July 13th.-Major Pottinger came in last night
from the Bala Hissar, and, informed us that
P 3
318 BOUGH NOTES DUEING
Capt. Troup, with G e e Buktyar, started on a
mission to Jellahbad on the night of the 10th;
also that on the same date the Wuzeer had wed-
ded a daughter of Ameenoolah Khan.
the last few days sickness had increased to an
aanning extent amongst us. Capt. Madtenzie's
life w e in imminent danger from t-vphus fever;
and Capt. Waller, Dr. M W , and s e v d la
dies, were attacked by the same disease in a
somewhat modified form : several of the private
soldiers also de r e d.
At our earnest request, the Wuser sent out
Dr. Campbell to afford ns medical aid, bat our
mpply of medicines was lamentably seantp in
proportion te the e x t e e demand The fever
probably originated in the maIaria of the nee-
fields,. which surrounded the fort np to the very
walls, and presented a wide surface of stagnant
water, sufficient to poison the air for miles mund.
Our sedentary life, and conihed space, and poolt
diet, no doubt, had each its share in predispoeing
us to disease.
July 15th.-Capt. Conolly again came to see
us, and brought with him a letter he had lately
received privately fiom Gen. Pollock, in which
the General stated that he had written to Ma-
homed Shah Khan, offering an exchange of pi -
soners w i t h t rereme (including of course tbe
IMPRISONMENT I N AFFGHANISTAN. 3 19
Dost). He had also demanded that all our guns
should be restored. He added that his own force
a t Jellalabad now amounted to 20,000 men ; that
of Gen. Nott, at Candahar, to 15,000 ; in ad-
dition to which an army of reserve, amounting to
85,000 men, were soon t o assemble at Ferozepore,
and that 10,000 European troops were on their
way from England.
July 18th.-To-day we were honoured by a
visit from the Wuzeer himself, accompanied by
Mahomed Shah Khan, Sultan Jan, and a few other
chiefs. His object seems to have been to make
us acquainted with the proposal of Gen. Pollock
for an exchange of prisoners, and to ascertain from
us what would be the probable result to himself
of his acceding to it. On this subject, however,
we could not enlighten him, and he left us in the
dark as to the course he intended to pursue ; but
we derived no small encouragement from Ma-
homed Shah Khan declaring his intention to
restore to Lady Mzcnaghten all her jewels.
July 19th. - Mahomed Shah Khan was as good
as his word, and actually brought back the jewels.
We had good reason to believe that he had several
times tried, without success, to raise money by
them in the city ; but finding nobody to appreciate
their value, and hoping to establish a claim to the
favourable consideration of our government, he
P 4
made a merit of their restitntion to the right
owner. In a private conversation with Capt,
Conolly, he declared himself Gvourable to the
proposed exchange of prisoners.
July 5%. - Dost 31ahomed Khan, Giljye, m e
to-day, and stated that we should all be rel ead
in twenty& days, provided Ge n PoEock should
agree to evacuate the country. We derived very
little comfort from this, feeling persuaded that
our armies could not, with honour, return to
India, without first having redeemed the credit of
our arms by marching boldly np to Cabul, and
avenging the fate of their comrades. Onr guard
was changed in the afternoon, and increased to
fifty men. A man named Ahmed Khan was at
the same t h e substituted as our keeper, in place
of >fahorned Ali Khan. The object of these iie-
quent changes was of course to prevent our form-
ing any plots to escape.
July 24th. -A note from Major Pottinger in-
formed us that Gen. Pollock had entered into
a truce with the Mghans, until the reply of Lord
Ellenborough should be received regarding an
alliance with the existing mh a n government,
and an exchange of prisoners. Major Pottinger
had likewise received an intimation from Jellala-
bad that, his political functions having ceased, he
was on no account to interfere with the future
arrangements that might be entered into regard-
ing us.
July 2 7th. - Capt. Troup returned from Jella-
labad. His news was not very consolatory. I t
s eem that, just when Gen. Pollock was on the
very point of settling with the Cabul govern-
ment for our exchange, and the withdrawal of our
troops from this country, he received an order to
push on to Cabul simultaneously with the force
from Candahar under Gen. Nott. I t would seem
that, previous to this, the intention had been that
our armies should return to India without strik-
ing a blow! Gen. Pollock, although delighted at
the prospect of earning fresh laurels, found him-
self in an awkward predicament with regard to
the pending negotiations ; and Capt. Troup was
sent back without any definite reply. He was
evidently much puzzled as to what he should find
to say to the Wuzeer, who would expect a favour-
able result to his mission. We were much vexed
to learn that several boxes, filled with letters and
necessaries for the prisoners, had been plundered
on the road from Jellalabad.
After an hour's rest, Capt. Troup went on to
the Bala Hissar, having travelled forty-five miles
since morning.
July 28th.-Capt. Troup came in from the
Bala Hissar, to prepare Capt. Lawrence to accom-
P 5
38R ROUGH NOTES DVRINQ
pany him on a second trip to Jellalabad. He told
-
us that Akber was, as might have been expected,
much disappointed at Gen. Pollock's refusal to
conclude the treaty in wr i t i y; and so anxious
was Akber to bring tbe matter to a favourable
close, that he offered to release us all at once, if
Capt. Troup would only guarantee that Gen.
Pollock should act up to his word, and forthwith
return to India. This offer Capt. Troup could
not, of course, accept, knowing, as he did full
well, the intention of the General to advance.
The sole object of this mission seemed to be, to
reiterate Akber's acceptance of the proffered
terms, and his desire that Gen. Pollock should
'at once sign a written document, to prevent any
misdnderstanding, immediately on receipt of whiah
the prisoners would be set at liberty..
* Lord Ellenborough's views would appear to be explained
by the following extract from the letter of Oen. Pollock,
dated, 49th July 184!4. ParL Pap. No. 485. " These cir-
eu~nstances (the collecting of all the prisoners into Mahomed
Akber's individual keeping) afford better hopes of the ulti-
mate recovery of all the prisoners : but I must impress upon
you, that no tnut whatever u to be placed in any Afghan;snd
that all military opetaliom murt po&d as if no-neg&tion was
in progress.
" When every gun, and colour, and.rnilitary trophy, and
every prisoner within the reach and power of the de fado
government of Cabool, has been surrendered to you, then,
and not till then, you may give orders suited to a state of r e
turning peace."
IMPRISONMENT IN AFFGHANISTAN. 323
July 29th.-Cap& Lawrence and Troup had
an interview with Akber. He had just heard
that Gen. Nott was preparing to advance on
Cabul, ,and declared in great wrath before the
whole durbar that the first movement of either
army towards Cabul should be the signal for our
removal to Toorkistan, where he would distribute
us as slaves to the different chiefs. He was loud in
his condemnation of Gen. Pollock, whom he sus-
pected of deceiving him. To show, however, his
determination to leave the General no handle
against hi , he released Mohun Lall, and restored
to him 18,000 rupees that had been taken from
him. This he did in consequence of Gen. Pol-
lock having expressed great displeasure at the
eeizure of that individual. Having received their
final instructions, the two officers departed at
night for Jellalabad.
This negotiation, although commenced by Gen.
Pollock in the humane desire to accomplish our
liberation by peaceable means, seemed now, by
the sudden turn that had taken place, likely to
plunge us into a dangerous dilemma,-Mahomet
Akber being notorious for stopping at no atrocity,
when his angry passions were once aroused, as we
There seems to have been a nlutaul unwiliingness to sign
and seal. For some interesting illustrations of this subject,
see App. C. - EDITOR. . A
P 6
324 ROUGH NOTES DURING
h e w they soon would be, when he should hear
of the advance of both generals, with their over-
whelming forces.
I n fact, we now fully made up our minds that
death or slavery would soon be our probable lot,
unless Providence should interfere to prevent i t ;
which, indeed, was our best and only spring of
hope.
Atgust ad. -A shock of earthquake at 3 P.M.,
accompanied by a loud rumbling noise. The flies
by day and the musquitoes by night swarmed to
such a degree, as to banish all rest and enjoyment.
Capt. Conolly was this day taken seriously ill.
We were informed that Gen. Pollock had ad-
dressed a letter to Khan Shereen Khan, Kuzzil-
bash, and other chiefs, promising them a free
pardon on condition of their preventing our re-
moval from Cabul, and threatening, on the other
hand, to raze the city to the ground, in case of
our being carried off by Akber.
August 7th. - Poor Conolly breathed his last
at half-past twelve this morning, sincerely la-
mented by us all. His amiable character had
speedily converted those, who formerly had only
been slight acquaintances, into warm friends ;
and his merits as a public officer gave early
promise of a distinguished and useful career. By
the Affghans he was universally respected ; and,
IMPRISONMENT I N AFFOHANISTAN. 32 5
with the abundant information he possessed on
all matters connected with the late deplorable
events, his death at this crisis may be deemed a
public loss. But for his influence and exertions,
the detachment of sick Europeans, left behind at
Cabul under Lieut. Evans, would long ago have
been starved to death, or destroyed by violence.
Large sums were advanced for their support and
protection by various individuals, on the security
of his bare word; and both he and the other
hostages had refused to avail themselves of se-
veral opportunities to escape to India, out of
consideration to the above-mentioned detach-
ment, who would then have been exposed to the
cruelty of the merciless mob. Capt. John Co-
uolly, with his two elder brothers, Arthur and
Edward, accompanied Sir John Keane's asmy
into Mghanistan in 1839, and all three were
speedily advanced to political employment by
their distinguished relative, Sir William Mac-
naghten. A bright prospect of wealth and dis-
tinction lay before them. In the course of three
years, one was shot through the heart at the
assault of a fort in Kohistan-one died in an
e h a n prison-and the eldest, the celebrated
traveller, is supposed to have experienced a si-
milar fate in a prison at Bokharn, to which city
he had been enticed by the king, and, being
326 ROUGH NOTES DURING
lured into the trap, waa immediately shut up in a
loathsome dungeon, in company with Col. Stod-
dart. The latter officer, it will be remembered,
was sent on a &an to Bokhara, in 1838, by
the British Envoy at the court of Persia. Having
inuocently excited the displeasure of the king,
than whom a more execrable tyrant never ex-
isted, he was shut up for several months in a
well, full of disgusting vermin and noxious rep-
tiles, and would eventually have been buried
alive, had he not at length so fsr given way to
human weaknese, as to make an outward pro-
fession of Mahornedanism. After this he was
restored to liberty, and became a great favourite
at court, until the news of our fatal disasters at
Cabul reached the ears of the king, who, s u p
posing that God had given over all infidels to
destruction, again doomed poor Stoddart to be
immured in a dungeon, where he was soon joined,
as has been seen, by his countryman, A-rthur
Conolly. I n a letter, which the latter managed
soon afterwards to write to his brother John, i t
was stated that himself and his fellow prisoner
had been without change of raiment for upwards
of eighty days, -that poor Stoddart was reduced
to a skeletony and eaten up with vermin; and
that, unless they should be released soon, a mise-
rable death must be their inevitable fate. Au-
thentic intelligence has since been received of the
death of Cmolly, but of his companion in misery
nothing hae been heard.+ I t may not be ge-
nerally known that Col. Stoddart was one of the
most able, patriotic, and noble-minded soldiers
that the British army ever produced; an ornament
to his profession, and an honour to his country.
All who knew him will readily acknowledge the
justice of this encomium, and will join in lament-
ing that such a man should be sacrijioed with
impunity to the savage whim of a petty Oriental
despot.
August 9th. - Mahomed Akber having pro-
mised to send Capt. Conolly's body for burial to
Jellalabad, Major Pottinger sent to inquire this
morning when it was to start, and received for
answer from Akber that, " until Pollock should
make peace, neither living nor dead should be
d e r e d to go." The body was, therefore, buried
this evening in the garden adjoining the fort.
Capts. Troup and Lawrence returned from Jel-
lalabad, and spent the night in the Bala Hissar.
August 10th. - The above-named officers re-
joined us this morning, and informed us that their
mission had led to no useful result. Gen. Pol-
lock still demanded that al l the prisoners should
r The death of both these unfortunate officers is now
beyond reasonable doubt -ED.
328 ROUGH NOTES DURING
be sent down immediately, which Akber as posi-
tively refused to do without a written agreement.
The crisis of our fate was consequently nigh at
hand. About this time Mahomed Akber, having
made several fruitless attempts to collect revenue
in the Zoormut valley, at last sent the Meer Waiz,
or high priest, thither for the purpose ; but c c his
holiness" met with so little respect on this un-
popular mission, that his horse was stolen, and
he was obliged to return to Cabul on foot. Akber,
demanding that the animal should be restored,
was told that the owner must "come and fetch
him." Such is royalty in Mghanistan. If Ak-
ber's merits as a ruler may be judged by the fol-
lowing anecdote, the future prospect of Mghan-
i s h under his sway are poor indeed. Shortly
after his last assumption of power, under the title
of Wuzeer, some Lohannee merchants, whose
trade had been entirely stopped by the late anarchy,
ventured to Cabul with a few goods, to feel their
way. Akber no sooner heard of their arrival,
than he sent for them to his house,- bought up
all their stock- paid them honestly -gave them
dresses of honour-and, having urged them to
return shortly with their richest wares, dismissed
them to their homes rejoicing. Of course they
gave out every where that such a first-rate fellow
as Akber had never before appeared in any age
or country. No time was lost in despatching a
valuable cafila from Dera Ishmael Khun to Cabul,
which was accompanied by many of the richest
Lohannees in person. Akber's eager eye was on
the look-out for their coming; and scarcely had
they set foot within the city, before he pounced
upon them like a hawk upon his prey, despoiled
them of all their merchandize, and levied a heavy
fine upon the chiefs of the party.
August 11th.-We were thrown into no slight
dismay this morning by the sudden stoppage of
our supplies. No time was lost in sending in-
formation to Akber, when i t was discovered that
the nazir, or steward, employed to supply us,
being desirous to obtain payment for past ex-
penses, had adopted this method of reminding
Akber of his claims. The matter was soon set-
tled, and our minds, as well as bodies, relieved.
I t was reported to us that an English officer had
been seized in the disguise of a butcher in the
Cabul bazar. This afterwards turned out to be
a hajee, whom a thirst for adventure had brought
from Arabia, vii India, and being very fair, he
was mistaken for an European. Some would
have i t that he was a Russian spy. This morning
Mahomed Akber placed the sacred person of
Futty Jung, his royal master, in durance vile,
having intercepted a letter from him to Ge h
33o BOUGH NOTE3 DURING
Pollock, urging the latter to march up at once,
when all would be well ; but warning him that, if
he delayed much longer, an army would be col-
lected to oppose him.
Amgurt 12th. -Major Pottinger, together with
the five hostages, joined us, bag and baggage,
from the Bala Hissar, by command of Abker,
who rudely told his people to "take those
away." This we supposed to be preliminary to
our removal to Barneean or elsewhere. Mrs. An-
derson was pronounced in imminent danger to-
night.
August 13th.-Lawrence waited on Akber to
ask him to give us two days' warning before
taking us off; but he was told that we must be
content with one hour's notice. Akber also d e
clared that all further negotiation with Gen.
Pollock for our release being at an end, he should
permit no more correspondence to take place be-
tween us and our sends. He intended, however,
a8 a last resource, to write a letter to Lord Ellen-
borough direct.
He mentioned having heard that Ge a Nott
was positively en mute from Candahar by the
road of Dera Ishmael Khan; but whether he
would turn off to Cabul, or pursue that road to
India, was at present a mystery. Should his
destination prove to be Cabul, we must be pre-
pared to be kztrried off to some far distant country.
Such was the information brought- us by Capt.
Lawrence.
Augerst 16th. - Putty Jung, of whose death by
violence we had been hourly expecting to hear,
was so fortunate as to e&ct his escape last night
from Mahomed Akber's clutches. The latter,
i t was said, immediately despoiled the prince's
wife and sisters of all their jewels.
August 17th. - Mrs. Smith, a poor European
widow, servant to Mrs. Trevor, died of fever.
Scarcely a single lady, officer, soldier, or child,
had now escaped the disease, and we began to
resemble a company of ghosts on a visit from the
other world.
Augwt 19th. - Our stock of medicines being
by this time almost entirely exhausted, Capt.
Troup went to urge Akber to send a list of our
wants to Jellahbad, which, however, he positively
refused to do, so long as Ge a Pollock con-
tinued to treat him as an enemy; but he pro-
mised that suilicient carriage should be provided
for us all, in case of a march. Our servants were
now strictly prohibited from going to the city, in
consequence of their spreading reports to Akber's
detriment, and there is no doubt that the inha-
bitants were by this time perfectly sick of their
%%2 ROUGH NOTES DURING
new ruler, and were longing for the re-establish-
ment of British influence.
At midnight there was a thunder-clap in the
hill above us, which so shook the house as to be
at first mistaken for an earthquake ; and the rain
fell so suddenly, that Captain Boyd, who happened
to be sleeping on the roof, had no time to escape,
and was drenched to the skin in his bed.
August W. - The report was prevalent of an
action having taken place near Gundamuck, from
which several AfFghans were said to have returned
to Cahul wounded. Mahomed Akber, we learned,
was at last preparing in earnest to meet Gen.
Pollock in the field.
Great was our surprise this morning, and un-
feigned our delight, at the unlooked-for arrival
amongst us of the nine officers taken prisoners at
Ghuznee on the capitulation of the garrison of
that fortress. They were, Col. Palmer, Capts.
Alston and Poett, Lieuts. Harris, Nicholson,
and Williams, of the 27th N. I., and Capt.
Burnet and Lieut. Crawford, of the Shah's ser-
vice. The joy of the meeting was mutual, as
they had heard most extravagant accounts of our.
ill treatment, as had we of theirs; and it was a
satisfaction to find that matters had not been
quite so bad as represented. On cqmparing notes,
however, we found that their treatment had been
l MPRISONMENT I N AFFQHANISTAN. 333
much more harsh than our own, inasmuch as
they had been kept closely shut up in a small
room, without the advantage of air and exercise ;
Col. Palmer, too, had once been subjected to
torture, to force from him a disclosure as to the
treasure, which he was suspected to have buried
in the citadel. They were hurried off hither
on the 20th, during the absence of Shumshoodeen
Khan, the governor, who had marched towards
Candahar, to oppose Gen. Nott ; and i t was
supposed that Mahomed Akber had taken advan-
tage of that chiefs absence, to carry them away
by stealth, through the agency of his own friends.
They arrived in the Bala Hissar last night, and
were received with great courtesy by Akber, who
inquired closely into the treatnient which they
had experienced. Akber and Shumshoodeen
had not been on good terms for some time past.
I t will be remembered that Ghuznee was in-
vested by the insurgents early in November, 1841.
The city was defended for several weeks with
great spirit, but the enemy gained admittance
through the treachery of the Affghan inhabitants,
by a hole made through the wall of a house ad-
joining the rampart. The enemy once in the
town, the garrison was obliged, after several in-
effectual endeavours to dislodge the overwhelming
,334 ROUGH NOTES DURING
he from the postsof vantage they occupied, toretire
within the citadel. There they held out bravely,
until their water failed ; when, being hemmed in
by snow, and with no possibility of retreating,
they had no other course left but to capitulate
or perish. Gen. Elphinstone had sent a written
order to Col. Palmer to evacuate the place, in
compliance with the treaty concluded at Cabul.
To this order Col. Palmer attended only when
he had no other course left, and by so doing he
saved the greater portion of his garrison. No blame
can possibly attach to him; and though, as a
matter of form, he must be tried, his honourable
acquittal is certain: Mghan treachery was as
conspicuous at Ghuznee as at Cahul. On an
appointed day the garrison marched out to rr
quarter of the city allotted for their reception,
Shumshoodeen Khan standing pledged to regard
their lives and liberty. Lieut. Lumsden re-
mained behind the rest with the rear guard, and
was in a house with his wife awaiting the moment
to march, when the murderous mob burst into
the place and put the whole party to death. The
regiment, too, after being separated from its
officers, was called upon to surrender its arms,
which several sepoys refusing to do, they were
slaughtered and the rest made captives. Such
IMPRISONMENT I N AFFGHANISTAN. 335
was the melancholy tale to which we now listened
for the first time.*
Augwt 25th.-In the morning we were told
that we should probably march at night. We
therefore packed up our few necessaries, and got
ready for a start. I n vain we indulged in glim-
mering hopes of a rescue. Too well we knew
that no one had sufIicient energy to attempt it.
In the evening Captain Troup came from Akber,
to see us OK Major Pottinger, being no favourite
with the Wuzeer, was sent back t q us ; and Capt.
Bygrave was ordered to remain with him in the
Major's stead.
At dusk our cattle arrived, and kujawurs (ca-
mel-litters) for the sick. Mrs. Anderson and
Mrs. Trevor, being too seriously ill to undertake
a journey, without incurring certain death, were,
with the utmost dificulty, allowed to remain b e
hind with their families, and with Dr. Campbell
as their medical attendant. All the rest, sick and
otherwise, were forced to be on the alert; and at
half-past ten P.M., the moon being well risen, we
started,-some in kujawurs, some on horseback.
Our escort consisted of between 300 and POO men,
armed with muskets, and formed into a regiment,
under the command of one Saleh Mahomed Khan,
formerly a subadar in Capt. Hopkins's Mghan
* See Appendix for Lieut. Crawford's own account.-ED.
336 ROUGH NOTES DURING
levy, who had rendered himself famous, or rather
infamous, by deserting with all his men to Dost
Mahomed at Barneean, in 1844). About half-a-
dozen Hindoostanees, with bugles, fifes, and drums,
formed a rude sort of band, and marched off in
state at the head of the regiment. At another
time we might have indulged in merriment at
their expense ; but now we were too sick in heart
and frame to exercise our sense of the ludicrous.
Passing through the Logur gorge we crossed the
Logur river by a bridge, and, pursuing a westerly
course, reached the rich valley of Chardeh.
August 26th.-At 9 A.M. we came to a halt at
Killa Kazee on the Ghuznee road, after a journey
of about sixteen miles. Part of our way was
through narrow lanes, overhung by mulberry
trees, under which the camels could not find a
passage without subjecting the luckless inmates
of the kujawurs to very rough treatment from the
branches. Mrs. Mainwaring had the skin of her arm
rubbed off in this manner, and some of the other
ladies got severe knocks on the head ; the heed-
less surwan, or camel-driver, meanwhile pursuing
his course most philosophically, takil?g no notice
whatever of the accidents in his rear, except now
and then to give a malicious grin of satisfaction.
I should have mentioned that most of the ladies
now, for the first time, adopted in part the Affghan
IMPRISONMENT IN AFFGHANISTAN. 337
dress, the outer garment of which consists of I.
large and white sheet completely shrouding the
body, to which is attached the bourkha, or veil, of
white muslin, with only a small open space of net-
work opposite the eyes, to peep through.
Hitherto they had all preferred adhering to
their own costume, but now that they were going
into unknown regions, where i t would be desirable
to attract as little notice as possible, the adoption
of the national dress, when travelling, became a
matter of expediency. At Killa Kazee we found
Sultan Jan halting to breakfast, en route to Ghuz-
nee, with about 50 followers, with full purpose to
annihilate Gen. Nott. He having possession of
the serai, our whole party were obliged to seek
shelter under the scanty shade of three or four
mulberry trees. Soon after Sultan Jan's depar-
ture, one of the officers went to the serai to
beg for aroom for the ladies and children, but
was repelled with scorn, and asked, " what he, an
infidel, meant by entering the place with his shoes
on ? " At noon we were joined by Dr. Berwick,
with about thirty European soldiers of the sick
detachment, under Lieut. Evans, H. M. 44th
Foot. That officer, with Lieut. Haughton of the
late Goorkha regiment, came up a few hours after-
wards, both in a very sickly state. I t will be re-
membered that poor Haughton lost his right arm
Q
338 ROUGH NOTES DURING
from a wound received at Charekar, during the
gallant defence of that place, in November, 1M1.
He had suffered the torture of a second amputa-
tion, the first having been too hastily performed,
and his subsequent sufferings had been severe. I t
is to be sincerely hoped that his unfortunate case
will meet with the generous consideration of t he
Indian government. Major Pottinger received a
letter to-day, by stealth, from Major Rawlinson,
political agent at Candahar, informing him of
Gen. Nott's advance on Cabul.
No provisions were served out the whole day
to man or beast. I n the evening Saleh Maho-
med's band committed deliberate murder on some
old regimental tunes.
August 27th. -We set out again at about 2 A.M.
The road lay over the hill pass of Sufed Kh k ,
into the small but heautiful valley of Maidan.
We halted for a few minutes under a splendid
grove of spreading poplars. About a mile be-
yond this we encamped at Kat Ashroo, near the
banks of a clear crpt al stream, shaded by lofty
poplars. Lower down the declivity, about the
middle of the valley (which was here about a mile
wide), there ran a small river carrying fertility
along its banks. Picturesque clumps of poplars
and willows here and there hroke the view, the
intervening space being filled up with green and
yellow fields of cultivation. Bare and rugged
mountains every where bounded the landscape.
Here, as we reclined our wearied limbs, and
looked around on the smiling scene which every
where charmed the eye, we wondered that the
inhabitants of so favoured a spot should be in-
sensible to the blessings of peace; - that the
loveliness of nature, and the quiet occupations
of husbandry, should have so little power to soften
the heart, and subdue the fierce passions of sa-
vage men, who here, as elsewhere throughout
Affghanistan, have, like the untameable descend-
ants of Esau, " their hand against every man,
and every man's hand against them." We were
told that the whole of this seemingly peaceful
valley was so distracted by blood feuds, that the
inhabitants scarcely dared to venture a few Ilun-
dred yards from their own dwelling.
August 28th. - We moved on again at 2 A. M.
The road continued up the valley, which, if pos-
sible, improved in beauty as we proceeded. We
halted within 4 miles of Sur Chusma, at Tak
Khana, in a field bounded on one side by shady
poplars, and on the other by a fine clear stream.
This being the high road to Balk, we constantly
met groups of asses laden with merchandise for
the Cabul market, among which we could not
be unconscious of the presence of assafcetida,
Q 2
310 ROUGH NOTES DURING
which diffused its powerful and oppressive odour
far and wide. Grapes, apples, pears, and apri-
cots, were brought to us in great plenty for sale
from the villages, and furnished a seasonable re-
freshment after our journey of about 14 miles.
No tents were pitched, and the fever patients
suffered greatly from the damp air at night.
August 29th. -We started at daybreak. A
short march of nine miles to Oonai, within two
miles of which place we passed a well-built fort,
belonging to a Kuzzilbash chief, who, having
heard of our approach, had kindly prepared a
quantity of small cakes, which were distributed to
us as we passed along. The road had a gradual
ascent the whole way. We had now entered the
country of the Huzarehs, a hardy independent
race of people inhabiting the exteiisive mountain-
ous tracts, which extend from that spur of the
Hindoo Koosh which forms the western barrier
of Kohistan, to within a few miles of Herat.
They are divided into sects, one professing the
Soonee, tlie other the Sheeah tenets. The Kuz-
zilbashes of Cabul, being Sheeahs, exercise con-
siderable influence over the Huzarehs of that
persuasion, who hold the best parts of the Bameean
valley and its neighbourhood. The knowledge of
this fact gave us some hopes of a rise in our
favour, in the event of Akber sustaining any
IMPRISONMENT I N AFFGHANISTAN. 341
signal defeat, the Kuzzilbashes having all along
been our secret friends.
August 30th. -We pursued our march at 3
A. M., and after the first mile we commenced
ascending the Oonai pass, consisting of several
steep ascents and descents for five miles. Here
we came in sight of the Koh-i-baba, a lofty snow-
clad mountain of the Indian Caucasus. The latter
part of the road was more level, descending
gradually to the bed of the Helrnund river, on the
right bank of which we encamped at Gurdun-
dewal. The Helmund was here about twenty-five
yards broad, at this season, and about two feet
deep. Some of the guard had a skirmish with a
'
few Huzareh thieves, one of whom was killed,
and two taken prisoners. The march to-daj: was
about twelve nliles, but very tedious. A beautiful
species of Sahi a was very abundant.
August 31st. -We started about 4 P. M. The
road lay for six miles up the stony bed of a large
stream, one of the tributaries of the Helmund.
Here we passed a chalybeate spring, the water of
which was greatly discoloured, and sparkled like
soda water, which i t very much resembled in
taste. For the rest of the way we had gentle
ascents. We passed much barley cultivation still
green in the ear, and encamped in the narrow
valley of Kar-zar, where we found a fort in a
Q 3
state of siege, and the hill-sides covered with
Huzarehs. I t seems that the Chief of Gurdun-
deural demanded the ton of the road as his right,
and was enforcing his claims with his armed
retainers
Sept& lrt. - We ascended the pass of
Hajeeguk, the summit of which is 12,400 feet
above the sea. The ascent was gradual and easy
enough, but the descent very steep and long.
About three miles led us into the valley of Kdm,
studded with a few poor-looking forts, and toler-
ably well cultivated with wheat and barley ; but
the crops seemed very backward, being still green
in the ear. In these cold regions winter sometimes
treads on the heels of summer, pushing autumn
out of the way altogether ; and a severe frost will
destroy the fruits of the husbandman's industry,
before the grain is yet ripe for the sickle. We
crossed two broad and foaming torrents, the last
a tributary of the Oxus. Boulders of granite
were of frequent occurrence. The Koh-i-baba
was now within a few miles on our left, and is
probably composed of that rock. About the tenth
mile brought us to the foot of the Kaloo pass,
where the camp was pitched close to a small fort.
A Hindoo servant of Col. Palmer, having offended
some of our guard, was with difficulty rescued
from a violent death.
IMPRISONMENT I N AFPGHANISTAN. 343
September Bd. - At daybreak we commenced
the ascent of the Kaloo mountain, forming part
of the principal chain of the Indian Caucasus.
The road being unsafe for camels, all the Kujawura
were filled with baggage, that the ladies and sick
might ride on the ponies. The length of the as-
cent was about two miles, and the road very
narrow and precipitous in many places. The
summit is 13,400 feet above the sea. The view
to the north presented a boundless chaos of barren
mountains, probably. unequalled in wild terrific
grandeur.
Bameean and its caves were dimly discernible
in the distance. Some of the sick soldiers, who
were forced to walk, were quite exhausted; and
one poor fellow, who was too weak even to sit on
a horse, it was found necessary to bind on a camel.
The descent was very tedious and steep, and
almost four miles in length. At the foot of the
hill we enjoyed a few minutes' rest, under the
shade of some old willows by the side of a de-
licious stream, These willows had straight
spreading branches, and were totally unlike any
.
others I had ever seen. We now entered a small
cultivated valley with two small forts. En-
cainped at Ki l l a Topchee.
September 3d. - Saleh Mahon~ed Khan made his
appearance this morning in a European officer's
Q 4
344 ROUGH NOTES DURING
blue frock coat, with shoulder-scales; and his
second-in-command blazed forth in an infantry
officer's fulldress scarlet uniform. This display
of h e y must have been intended to make a
favourable impression on the inhabitants of Ba-
meean.
Our route lay down a narrow cultivated valley
enclosed by low hills of red indurated clay, as-
suming occasionally the most fantastic forms,
until we reached the Bameean river, flowing
eastward, which we crossed by a bridge, and then
commenced to ascend the valley down which i t
takes its course. The cultivation along its banks
was richer than we expected to see, and the Tir-
hiskh, or barberry, grew wild in great abundance,
in company with a species of Hippophiie, bearing
a plentiful crop of small bright yellow berries.
Seven miles more took us to Bameean, the ap-
proach to which was very remarkable. The same
clay hills lined the valley on either side, alter-
nating in shade from deep red to bluish grey, and
forming here and there long lines of perpendicular
cliff.
The vast assemblage of caves, for which the
place is celebrated, became visible at a great dis-
tance, and the ancient citadel of Gulguleli, with
its lofty ruined towers, crowning an isolated
pyramidal hill, rising behind the scene, formed
IMPRISONMENT I N AFFGIIANISTAN. 345
a striking and imposing object. We passed
several small Affghan forts, and halted at one
somewhat better than the rest, where we had just
got our tents pitched and our breakfast in a state
of forwardness, when we were peremptorily or-
dered to remount and move a few miles higher
up the valley. We were very loth to obey ; but
neither sulky looks, nor open remonstrances, had
any effect on Saleh Mahomed, and onward we
travelled in that sort of temper peculiar to hungry
men disappointed of their morning's meal. On
our way we passed close by the famous colossal
images, sculptured in a cliff, which was about
300 feet in height, and perforated with hundreds
of caves rising one above the other in irregular
stories. The first figure we passed was that of a
female, 120 feet high ; the body covered with
a clever representation of thin drapery ; the po-
sition easy and natural. The upper part of the
face is entirely destroyed.
About 400 yards further on, in the same cliff,
stands the male figure, about 160 feet high, and
clothed in a similar fashion with a light drapery.
The mouth alone remains a perfect feature of the
face, and is well formed. Each figure is sculp-
tured in a deep recess, having an ornamented
ceiling, on which are painted what seem intended
to represent ancient kings and queens, and a
Q 5
34-G ROUGH NOTES DURING
variety of emblematic personages, whose mystery
i t would be difficult, at this remote date, to clear
up to the satisfaction of the Society of Antiquaries.
There are openings at the head and feet of both
images, which are connected by galleries and
stairs cut inside the rock. The whole long line
of excavations forms a wonderful scene, and cames
the fancy back thousands of years, to a date at
which a widely different race peopled the count y
from any now existing.
A few of the caves were still inhabited by the
lower orders. About a mile beyond this spot we
halted at a small fort, in which the ladies were
offered quarters, but of so unprepossessing an
appearance, that they earnestly requested per-
mission to remain in the tents, preferring solar
heat, with pure air, to the darkness and filth of a
mud hovel confined within close walls. The place
was therefore made over to the poor soldiers, to
whom i t was really acceptable.
The soaring snow-clad peaks of Koki-baba have
a majestic aspect from this point of view ; although
from the south side they had somewhat disap-
pointed our expectations.
The ancient city of Gulguleh was destroyed by
Khenghis Khan in the thirteenth century. Its
ruins cover a considerable extent of ground. The
place then sunk into a state of insignificance, from
IMPRISONMLNT I N AFFGHANISTAN. 347
which i t has never emerged ; and the scanty popu-
lation is now dispersed over the valley, among a
few small forts belonging to Huzareh chiefs.
This evening Saleh Mahomed Khan boasted
aloud before his men, that Gen. Nott's force had
been entirely cut up at Ghuznee, by Shumshoo-
deen. This was probably intended to check de-
sertion, to which many of them seemed much
inclined, in consequence of irregular pay and
scanty food.
The only fuel here attainable is a small round
prickly plant, as impenetrable as a hedgehog,
called by the natives " Kholo-i-Huzareh," or the
Huzareh's Cap. It seemed a species of acantho-
phyllum. The portion served out to each mess
barely sufficed to boil a kettle.
September 4lh.- Saleh Mahomed took Capt.
Lawrence this morning to look at another fort,
which he proposed as a habitation for the ladies
and officers; but Lawrence told him that, although
i t might be fit for Afghans and cattle, i t certainly
was not so for us,-being full of filth and vermin,
Saleh Mahomed, upon this, declared that, if any
of us should escape, he would kill the rest. He
was evidently anxious, for some reason or another,
to get us into a place of security, and much an-
noyed by our squeamishness on the subject. A
little rain fell during the night.
Q 6
3118 ROUGH NOTES DURING
Sept. 5th.-I obtained leave to visit the caves
and images, one of the guard accompanying me.
A walk of one mile brought me to the base of
the male figure, the size of which on a near ap-
proach seemed really stupendous. Along the
sides of the recess, in which i t is carved, are
ranges of large circular chambers with vaulted
ceilings. The image has been greatly mutilated
by cannon shot, for which act of religious zeal
credit is given to Nadir Shah. One circumstance
struck me as remarkable,-which was, that in all
those parts where the Limbs are deficient, there
are regular rows of small holes, in which pieces
of wood have been stuck, for the evident purpose
of making plaster adhere. From this i t would
appear either that an attempt had been made to
restore the mutilated parts by these means, or
that the figure was originally only partially sculp-
tured in the rock, and the deficiencies made up
with plaster in the manner I have mentioned.
From the apparent facility with which, from the
softness of the rock, the image might have been
chiselled perfect at the first, 1 incline to the be-
lief that an attempt has been since made to repair
the work of destruction, during some temporary
success of the heathen inhabitants against their
Mahomedan invaders. The cliff is composed of
that species of conglomerate known by the name
l MPRI SONMENT I N AFFQHANISTAN. 348
of pudding-stone, consisting of very hard clay,
thickly studded with various kinds of rounded
pebbles.
I ascended to the top of the female image by a
series of stairs and galleries, the labour of exca-
vating which through the solid rock must have
been immense. From the main gallery others
branched off in all directions, commullicating with
distant chambers. While sitting on the lady's
crown, enjoying a splendid view of the country,
I was joined by some of the inhabitants, who
were very inquisitive to know what was written
in our books concerning the place. I told them
i t was generally supposed that Alexander the
Great founded a city there. His fame is diffused
so generally among all classes in Mghanistan,
that I was pretty certain my information would
prove satisfactory. After a long chat on late
events, these men assured me that the whole po-
pulation of the valley were favourable to the
English, whose rule they preferred to any other,
and that all the chiefs were most anxious we
should be released and peace be restored. On my
return I found Saleh Mahomed's band hammer-
ing away at their only tune, with extraordinary
zeal and perseverance, to an admiring crowd of
strangers, who seemed perfectly entranced by the
brilliant performance. The Affghans have a de-
550 ROUGH NOTES DURING
cided taste for music, and quickly discern the
beauties of a tune to which a Hindoo would
Listen with utter indifference. At Cabul the
band-stand of Her Majesty's 13th was a favourite
resort with the respectable classes, and their own
national melodies, when chaunted i n the open air,
are by no means displeasing to an European ear.
- Gunner MrCrae, of the Artillery, was buried
this evening.
September 6th.- I accompanied Lady Sale on
a second trip to the caves. Her Ladyship, who is
well skilled in numismatics, at the h t glance
pronounced the figures painted on the ceiling
over the images to be identical with those on
many Sassanian coins. This, if really the case,
may throw considerable light on the history of
these curious relics of antiquity. After our re-
turn to camp, a feude-joie was fired by the guard
for the evacuation of Candahar by our troops.
September 8th. -Several desertions took place
from among the men of our guard, and Saleh Ma-
homed at last insisted on our moving into a fort
for better security. One of his subordinate offi-
cers, having spoken insolently on parade, was
condemned to part with his long black beard,
and the barber was summoned to c q the sen-
tence into effect before the men. This is the
greatest indignity which a Mahornedan can suffer,
and the fellow looked not a little disgusted, but
was forced to submit amidst the jeers of his
comrades.
Sept. 9th.-A fort being reported ready for
our reception, we moved into it. The interior .
space was crowded with low and filthy mud ho-
vels, lately the abode of sheep and oxen. On
entering our new apartments, we found ourselves
for a few minutes in total darkness, until, our
eyes becoming reconciled to the gloom, we dis-
cerned small holes in the roof, intended to repre-
sent windows, through which a few questionable
rays of light struggled for admittance. I n AE-
ghanistan air and light are considered superfluous
luxuries in a dwelling-house : but, to make up
for these deficiencies, our olfactory nerves were
brought into active exercise.
Although very much disgusted in heart, we
had no alternative but to grin and bear it. Five
respectable Lohanee merchants, who happened to
be strolling near the walls of the fort, were seized
by Saleh Mahomed, on pretence of having been
discovered holding secret communication with us,
but i n reality for the purpose of extorting money
from them.
Sept. 10th. - ZooKcar Wan, the governor of
Barneean, came early in the morning to demand
the release of the Lohanee merchants. Saleh
35% ROUGH NOTES DURING
Mahomed, however, assumed very consequential
airs, and said he would imprison the Governor
himself should he be convicted of a similar of-
fence. After much bravado of this kind, he
released the men, and ZooEcar Khan took his
departure, not over-pleased at his uncourteous
reception.
Sept. 1 lth. -The crisis, which we had so long
been anticipating with dread, -at length arrived.
A decisive order was received by Saleh Mahomed,
from Mahomed Akber Khan, for our instant
march to Kooloom. All hope of deliverance
seemed now at an end, and we endeavoured
calmly to resign ourselves to a fate that seemed
inevitable. But Providence had mercifully or-
dained otherwise.-At 10 A.M., to our unbounded
astonishment, Major Pottinger came to inform
us that Saleh Mahomed Khan had offered to
make us over to the British General, on condition
of our securing to him the payment of 20,000
rupees in ready cash, and 1000 rs. per mensem
for life. Major Pottinger, together with Capts.
Lawrence and Johnson, had immediately closed
with his offer, and had signed their names to a
document, whereby they ,paranteed the payment
of the above reward. To this Capt. Mackenzie,
on becoming acquainted with the circumstances,
became likewise a party ; and the rest of us (with
IMPRISONMENT I N AFFGHANISTAN. 353
the exception of one, who refused to co-operate,
on the ground of the measure beingprec+itate*,
but who did, I believe, afterwards join in it,)
signed another paper, in which we stood pledged
to save those four officers from loss, in case the
government should refuse to sanction the expen-
diture. We afterwards learned that we were in
a great measure indebted for this sudden turn of
affairs in our favour to Ali Kuzul Khan, and
other Kuzzilbash chiefs, in concert with Mohun
La11 (late Moonshee to Sir A41exanderBurnes),who
sent Syud Moorteezzer to Bameean to negotiate
with Saleh Mahomed for our release, Mohun
La11 promising a liberal reward in the name of
the British government.+ Saleh Mahomed's
offer to Major Pottinger was the result of the
Syud's mission, which the news of Gen. Pollock's
triumphant advance on Cabul tended, without
doubt, to facilitate. I t also fortunately happened
that Saleh Mahomed's family at this time in-
habited the Chundoul, and the Kuzzilbashes
threatened to visit on thein any injury he should
suffer to befall us, the fear of which had induced
* Major Pottinger says, that Major General Shelton and
Colonel Paln~er declined affixing their signatures to any such
paper, lest they should implicate themselves with Mahomed
Akber. See his letter to General Pollock, Parl. Pap. No.
512. - EDITOR.
j- See Mohun Lall's letter, Appendix E. -EDITOR.
364 ROUQH NOTES DURING
one of his brothers to come out to Barneean, for
the purpose of prevailing on him to accede to the
terms proffered for our release. The bait proved,
as has been seen, irresistible, and we were all
now, with him at our head, fairly embarked in
the dangernus vortex of an Affghan conspiracy.
The first point to be settled was, how to deal with
a man called the Meer dkirw, who had accom-
panied our party from Cabul, as a sort of po-
litical colleague to Saleh Mahomed Khan. He
was well known to be one of Mahomed Akber's
most faithful and confidential adherents; of his
co-operation we could, therefore, entertain no
hope, and of his continued presence, as he com-
manded a party of 100 Ghiljie horse, it was
desirable to get rid as soon ae possible. I t was
accordingly contemplated to seize his person on
the first fair occasion that might offer. In the
evening Saleh Mahomed paraded his men, when
they were very clamorous for pay, ahd declared
their intention to proceed no further, unless their
wants were supplied This little scene was pro-
bably got up as a blind for the Mew A k h .
Sept. 12th.-At an early hour Saleh Ma-
homed's flag of defiance was displayed on one of
the towers of our fort. A supply of money being
much wanted, to keep the troops in good humour,
a c d a was intercepted from Bokhara, and about
IMPRISONMENT IN AFFGHANISTAN 355
4.00 rupees extorted by way of tax. Major Pot-
tinger next adopted the bold step of appointing a
new governor of the province, i n the name of the
British government. Presents and promises were
at the same time liberally dispensed to the neigh-
bouring Huzareh chiefs, who almost unanimously
declared in our favour.
I n the evening Zoolficar Khan himself (the old
governor) thought i t advisable to send and tender
his submission. Major Pottinger, in reply, re-
minded him that he owed his advancement origi-
nally to the English, and now had an opportunity
to prove himself a friend, in which case his reward
should be proportionate to his services. At night
we were assured that the whole Huzareh popu-
lation of the valley were on our side, and ready
to take up arms against Akber, even should he
appear with a thousand horse to back him.
Altogether the plot prospered beyond our most
sanguine expectations.
Sept. 13th. - The two small forts at this time
occupied by ourselves and the European soldiers,
and which were only one hundred yards apart,
being deemed by Saleh Mahomed ill-adapted for
defence, he proposed removing us to another fort
about two miles lower down the valley, which
prevented our making immediate preparations for
a siege.
356 ROIJGH NOTES DURING
As Mahomed Akber's arrival was t o be hourly
expected (in flight from Clen. Pollock's army),
we were impatient to get every thing in proper
trim against a surprise ; and i t seemed t o us that
Saleh Mahomed was much too dilatory i n taking
the necessary precautions. We now learned, for
the f i nt time, that he had yesterday received a
second letter from Maliomed Akber, urging him
to hurry us off to Kooloom without delay, and iu-
strutting him to put to death all who, from sick-
ness or the want of a conveyance, might be unable
to travel. I t is but fair to add that none of our
party actually saw this letter, and that we have
siiice had reason to doubt whether Saleh Mahomed
really received any such murderous order. The
story \pas most probably an invention of his own,
to enhance the value of his services.
The Meer Akhor had meanwhile become aware
of what was passing, and wisely took himself off
to the fort of Zoolficar Khan. In the course of
the day he sent t o assure Major Pottinger that
lie was his very dutiful servant. Saleh Mahomed,
distrusti~ig his professions and those of Zoolficar
Khan, kept the troops under arms all the morning,
and paraded them about for two or three hours,
with drums beating and colours flying, hoping by
this display of strength to intimidate his adver-
saries.
IMPRISONMENT I N AFFGHANISTAN. 357
Some members of the Meer Waiz's family,
amongst whom were several females, passing along
the road en route from Cabul to Toorkistan, Saleh
Mahomed ordered them to halt. Two men of the
party, upon this, rode up to remonstrate. One
grave, conceited Moollah was instantly pulled from
his horse to the ground, where he lay for some
minutes looking most ludicrously astounded ; the
soldiers meanwhile venting their abuse at the pi-
tiful scoundrels, who, as they declared, c' having
been foremost in exciting their countrymen to
rebel, were now sneaking off with their families
to a place of safety, leaving their deluded fol-
lowers to be destroyed."
After a short detention they were permitted to
proceed on their way ; Saleh Mahomed probably
thinking i t impolitic to offer any further indignity
to relations of so powerful a personage as the
High-Priest of Cabul. Saleh Mahomed, in the
course of conversation with some of the officers
to-day, said that he supposed we should no sooner
find ourselves fairly out of his clutches, in the Bri-
tish camp, than we should turn round upon him
and exclaim, cc You be d-d ! " (using the English
words). Major Pottinger both to-day and yes-
terday wrote to communicate our situation to
Gen. Pollock, of whose arrival at Cabul we now
daily expected to hear.
558 ROUGE NOTES DURING
&pt. l4&-It being at length settled that we
should re& in our present position, we lost no
time in preparing the two forts for a siege. Our
first step towards this was to raise a subscription
.mangst ourselves of 500 rupees, as a common
fund fur provisioning the two garrisons. Saleh
Mahomed likewise busied himself in laying in
supplies far his men. The water was turned into
the ditches, and a promise was made of arms for
otlicers and men, if procurable. Meanwhile we
wc e i d ample emcowagement from all quarters,
and were assured that the whole country &om
Si+AusAm to Syghan was friendly to our cause.
This evening several chiefs had a conference with
Saleh Xahomed and Major Pottinger, when they
solznmly commenced their proceedings by repeat-
ing the fittiah, - a prayer used by the faithful
an all bpartlrnt occasions, - and they concluded
with w oath of fidelity to us throughout the pre-
wltt undertaking. Towards midnight we were
all aroused from sleep by the drums beating to
arms, and we rushed out in haste, making sure
that Akber was in sight.
l\'e wertl told that 100 horsemen had been
disct.rurd. in the direction of the caves, by Saleh
l\Iahon~rd's brother, and that, on being chal-
lenycd, they had returned no answer. All were
soon on t l ~c alert, and sgirmishing parties were
sent out in all directions to reconnoitre. We
spent an anxious hour, expecting every instant to
be attacked, but all remained quiet; and, as the
scouts reported the coast clear, we resumed our
broken slumbers.
Sept. 5th.-This evening we heard that Gen.
Nott had taken and destroyed Ghuznee; that
Gen. Pollock's army was fast drawing near to
Cabul; and that M. Akber was a fugitive in
Kohistan. Saleh Mahomed, conceiving that the
time had at length arrived when we might com-
mence our retrograde movements with tolerable
safety, gave us notice to be prepared for a march
on the following morning. I n the afternoon
the Huzarehs brought us horses for sale, though
at most exorbitant prices, and a few swords
and muskets were distributed among the officers
and men.
Sept. 16th. - With hearts fluttering between
hope and anxiety, we issued forth from our com-
fortless prison, and at sunrise commenced our
flight. The inhabitants of the several forts lined
the road to witness our departure, and to express
their good wishes for our success. Several of our
party were still suffering from relapses of fever,
and, sad to relate, a poor private of H. M. 44th
expired on the journey. Retracing our steps .
down the Bameean valley, we reached our former
360 ROUGH NOTES DURING
encampment at Killa Topchee. Here a Persian
letter to Major Pottinger's address was received,
giving a confused and imperfect, but. still very
acceptable, detail of Gen. Pollock's victory at
Tezeen. At night we were still further elated by
the arrival of a note from Sir R. Shakespear,
military secretary to Gen. Pollock, dated at Sir-i-
chushm, and stating that he had advanced thus far
on his road to our relief, with a party of 600
Kuzzilbash horsemen.
Sept. 17th. - Recrossing the Kaloo mountain,
we encamped near a fort about three miles from
its base, where we had rested only a couple of
hours, when a body of horse were descried de-
scending into the valley down the distant pass of
Hajeejuk. In an instant all were on the alert,
straining our eyes to catch a glimpse of (as we
fondly believed) our expected liberators ; nor were
our hopes disappointed.
The nearer approach of the party, as they
crossed the valley, enabled us to recognise the
friendly banner of the Kuzzilbash streaming in
the air. Saleh Mahomed had by this time formed
up his men in martial array, ready to receive
friend or foe, as the case might be. A few mi-
nutes more of eager suspense elapsed, when Sir
Richmond Shakespear, galloping up to where we
stood, bade us rejoice at our accomplished de-
livery, and dissipated every doubt.
At length we felt the blessed assurance of free-
dom; the heavy burden which had oppressed our
hearts for nine tedious months was removed;
and from that moment we were altered beings.
Our gallant countryman was greeted on our side
with no boisterous cheers of triumph, for all
seemed alike conscious that the utterance of such
sounds would but inaptly express the deep feel-
ings of gratitude, that agitated our inmost hearts.
Our joy was too great, too overwhelming, for the
tongue to utter, as it is for my feeble pen to de-
scribe. That we should have escaped unhurt,
with so many delicate women, young children, and
tender infants, through such numerous perils, fa-
tigues, and privations, and above all, from the
hands of such merciless enemies as Akbar Khan
and his Giljye confederates, seemed at first too
much for the senses to realize; nor could even
the most thoughtless among us fail to recognize
and acknowledge, in all that had befallen us, the
distinguishing grace and protecting providence of
a forbearing and merciful God. We now for the
first time learned that Gen. Pollock had reached
Cabul on the 15th instant, where one of his first
acts had been to hasten the departure of the
Kuzzilbashes to our aid, by a donation of 10,000
R
362 ROUGH NOTES DURING
rupees.
To pay tlus sum, Sir R. Shakespear had
been despatched to the Chandozll, the Kuzzil-
bash quarter of Cabul, where finding a party i n
readiness to start for Bameean, and rightly judg-
ing that the presence among them of an English
officer would quicken their energies and accele-
rate the completion of their designs, he forthwith
determined to act on his own responsibility ; and
exchanging his English uniform for a respectable
Affghan costume, he joined them in quest of his
captive countrymen. Saleh Mahomed Khan,
although at first somewhat jealous that the Kuz-
zilbashes should have deprived him of the sole
credit of our release, was speedily reassured by the
lavish praises of Sir Richmond, who, as a mark
of the highest honour that a superior can pay to an
inferior, lifted the turban from off his own head,
and placed i t on that of the Affghan.*
Sept. 18th. - Mahomed Akber and many of
his most ~owerful adherents being still at large,
i t seemed highly probable that they would yet
make a desperate effort to recover their lost prey,
md that all their remaining influence would be
exerted to intercept our flight.
Sir R. Shakespear consequently lost no time
i n forwarding to Gen. Pollock an earnest request
that troops might be instantaneously sent out
* See Appendix F. for a letter from the libepted captives
to Sii R. Shakespear, and his reply.
to our support, especially as the pass of Sqfed
Khuk, through which we must pass, was reported
to be occupied by a band of hostile marauders.
I t was at the same time determined that we
should hasten forward by forced marches, for
which every facility was liberally afforded by the
Kuzzilbash chiefs, in supplying us with fresh
horses, our own animals being too ill-conditioned
for rapid progress.
At dawn we accordingly resumed our march,
and recrossing the Hajeejuk Pass, the summit of
which was now intensely cold, we descended to the
banks of the Helmund, stopping to refresh our-
selves on the way with draughts of the mineral
spring, which I have before mentioned. Some of
our Kuzzilbash friends, being told that the water
was medicinal, and seeing us drink i t with so
much apparent zest, immediately fancied it must
be a sort of elixir vitae, or sovereign specific for
every human ailment, and tossed i t down most
greedily. One old fellow in particular, who de-
clared himself to have been a martyr to rheuma-
tism for several years, was in a perfect ecstacy
of delight, and, having swallowed as much aa
would have slaked the thirst of an elephant,
trotted on in the full belief that he had at length
got rid of his enemy. I t would have been cruel
to u11Jeceive him.
R 2
Sq~t . II'3h. - Om next march was to Tak-
lii,unu, a Jisbnce of t i h i r ~ miles On t he way
wme of us stopped for a few minutes to partake
of wme sour curds and sweet cakes, which a Kuz-
zii- chief hi d prep& far us b~ the side of
one of those 4 ,.3rrYhing r i det s , the glad-
dening murmur of whostt crystal waters so con-
stmtIp _mts the travtf&rrs ear throughout
Mg\lanism~ Mter - the Oonai Pass,
we found the hospitable aM chief, whose fort
stands at the base jud whose attention to us on
our journey up to Barneean, under far different
ekumstances, I hare a b d y recorded), awaiting
our arrivd under the shade of same poplars by
the road-side, where carpets were spread for our
rereption, and some excellent tea ma s sen-ed out
to rw in s d ehina cups, quite in the European
k&on.
Here my friend Capt. Mackenzie being taken
ill, I remained with him until evening, when our
worthy old host insisted on escorting us to camp
in person, the road being too unsafe to admit of
our travelling alone. On the way we passed a
peasant with some tempting-lookhg fish, on
which the old gentleman having seen us cast a
longing eye, immediately commenced bargaining
for them ; but, having no money on his person,
he was obliged to pawn his snuff-box for the
price. On our arrival in camp, he insistctl on
our accepting his purchase, and, as he was an
inveterate snuff-taker, this little act of kindness
must have cost him no small self-denial, and ma;;
not be deemed altogether unworthy of record.
At night we obtained information that some
hostile chief, with a thousand followers, had
reached Kaloo, to intercept our flight a few hours
after our-departure, and would probably make an
effort to overtake us. The Kuzzilbashes, appre-
hending a night attack, were desirous to remove
the ladies into a fort, but we were overruled in
this by Sir R. Shakespear, who seemed to think
i t not unlikely that his fair friends might turn
rebellious at the bare idea of being again im-
mured in an Affghan fort, even for one night.
Fortunately, no foe appeared to disturb our
repose.
Sept. 20th. - At early dawn we started for
Argundee, distant twenty-five miles, where we
had every hope of finding a British force on their
route to our assistance. Once more we traversed
the lovely valIey of Maidan, and halted about
half way, to refresh ourselves by the shady banks
of a delicious stream, where we again did ample
justice to the rude fare prepared for us by the
Kuzzilbashes. Resuming our journey, we pre-
sently encountered an English officer, who gave
R 3
366 ROUGH KOTES DURIKQ
us the welcome information that Gen. Sale's
brigade was only a few miles distant on the road
to meet us, a d , on our shortly afterwards reach-
ing the town of Kot-AOhroo, a body of H. M.
3d Dragoons, with a squadroll of the 1st Bengal
Cavalry, burst suddenly upon our view, picketed
in some adjacent fields. To deecribe what fol-
lowed I borrow a passage from one of my own
letters to a friend : - " All doubt was now at an
end ; we were once more under the safeguard of
British troops : Gen. Sale was there in person ;
and his happiness at regaining his long 'lost wife
and daughter can be imagined; the gallant vete-
ran's countenance was an index of his feelings,
and apathetic indeed must have been the heart
that failed to sympathize with his holy joy. The
camp was still a few miles further on, and we
formed a procession of glad spirits as we moved
along towards the pass of Sufed-Kak, whose
heights we could discern crowned with British
bayonets. These we found to be a part of the
brave 13th Light Infantry, who, as the ladies
successively ascended the hill, raised three hearty
cheers to each of them, - sounds never to be
forgotten, producing a thrill of ecstasy through
the whole frame. The Mountain guns, under
Capt. Backhouse, wound up the scene with a
royal salute." Fervent were our aspirations of
praise to Heaven at this happy, and of late un-
looked for, termination of all our hardships and
anxieties. Surely never has the hand of Pro-
vidence been more clearly discernible, than in the
wonderful preservation of so many ladies and
children, through scenes of a nature to quail the
stoutest heart and injure the strongest constitu-
tion; but more particularly in restraining the
wrath of savage men, whose intense hatred of us
was only equalled by their unscrupulous cruelty,
and who longed to wreak their revenge upon us
for the wrongs, whether real or fancied, that they
had suffered at the hands of our nation.
Our friends in camp at Argundee received us
with overflowing kindness, and we soon found
ourselves in circumstances far more favourable
than we had known for l i ne tedious months of
suffering and sorrow.
Sept. 2lst.- We marched on with the brigade
to Kidla-Kazee, where we had only a few days
before been received with insult ,and abuse. The
very house, that then refused us a shelter, was now
in flames; so that vengeance did not, in this in-
stance, tarry long. At 2 P.M. we started for
Gen. Pollock's camp, on the plain east of Cabul.
Near the tomb of the Emperor Baber we passed
Gen. Nott's camp. Our road lay thence through
the city. The streets were almost empty, and an
unnatural silence prevailed. What a contrast to
R 4
368 ROUGH NOT= DURING
the noise and bustle of former days ! We passed
the spot where Sir Alexander Burnes's house had
stood. - I t was now a heap of rubbish. - The
garden, in which he took so much interest and
pride, was a desolate waste. I t was here that I
had last enjoyed his fascinating society, as he
pointed out to me the successful results of his
labours and experiments, and looked forward
with enthusiasm to the rapid anielioration of the
county, through the agency of British enterprise
and skill.
What an instructive lesson was now before me
of the fallacy of human hopes, and the ins&-
ciency of earthly honours, or the objects of even a
lawful ambition, to satisfy the soul of man !
We entered Gen. Pollock's camp at sunset.
Again the artillery uttered its boisterous notes of
welcome, and old friends crowded around us with
warm congratulations. For the present our cup
of joy was full. Our fellow-captives, whom we
had left behind at Shewukkee, were likewise in
safety, having been liberated shortly after Akber's
defeat by a party of Kuzzilbaslies, headed by
Jail Fishau Khan, a man whose invariable fidelity
to the English has rendered him houseless, child-
l e ~ , end penniless, and who richly deserves the
highest honours and rewards that a grateful go-
Yt ' p~l l l e~t c w bestow. Capt. Bygrave, who had
lt'"
on vnr drputure from Shewnkkee to join
Akber, alone was wanting, having been made the
unwilling companion of that chiefs flight to
Goorbund. Knowing him to be a favourite with
Akber, we felt no doubt of his personal safety,
though we knew by experience that his situation
must be sufficiently miserable. On the 27th we
were relieved from all further suspense and
anxiety on his account by his actual arrival in
camp, accompanied by our old friend and keeper
Mahomed Rufeek. He had been suffering greatly
from fever, but had experienced most kind treat-
ment from Akber and the Giljye chiefs who
still adhered to him. The wily Akber had be-
trayed no signs of discomposure at our escape,
whatever he may have felt, and even professed
himself well pleased to hear of our safety.*
At all events he had the good sense to perceive
that the further detention of his sole remaining
prisoner could serve no good purpose, while by
restoring him to liberty he might found a claim
to credit for magnanimity, and perhaps in some
degree conciliate the British government. Nor
is tlie act altogether devoid of grace, when i t is
remembered that clemency to an unbelieving foe
is neither a principle of the Mahomedan creed,
nor a characteristic of the Aff'ghan people.
* For a complete list of prisoners recovered, see Appendix
H.-ED.
R 5
-.
.: 5 Sudi.;e 30 & k d Mahomed
--..= - -
that a man so
-- .Ex.-=.& ~ ~ P P W ~ t s d q d - - -
-s Y-CL b p r md d cultivated,
. -
xc:. ZL- - 5im borh .n -t and a
..<C;O.-* v = &ad& Ididly follow-
7& LtPL =:; I x z p t Lk af '5s ~psmiDms$ hue perpe-
f ~ = -%zm- ririeh b u p k d Em beyond
- .
ZIT 1u-e A. L- iilqi-4 and eu-
:PL;r% - d his
t"=L;-." 2 - T -
3t # <Ria m f m d ~ o k s r i b It hs
' . t r t ~ ~ ' P l j ; ~ ~ ~ ~ Q E ~ d i s -
~ C C x* --,lr &xisit whkh had hitherto
'm .,X~CG J ~ F a& tsn d mw1 1
.it;xxt&ntc 5te redd-Tbr prst
' 1\ H' h d&: bat in rpt a h a t y e u o m
- &' h ~ g l t t t k k ~ 8 md o mg n a r t i a l
y y u - &&d 5- Umies af
y0;10l+ 4 SGlx ha*
parred that
\rw: w;'i.i~m bQI5 ElnwQm 8 d ntive, are st i l l
iiiv&<&itti k wiif ba the pkasimg t d af abler
wri kt s N &cad & h k achkuw%& ahid
ttm&ttaa*l ia & d Gh- and
~abt d, tha of Bzitisk tqthes, and the
~ ~ ~ ~ r n t i m ~f tke +used haee4, Dost Ma-
lloirldBthaa,
APPENDI X.
CONTENTS OF THE APPENDIX,
A. Letter from Capt. Colin Mackenzie to Lieut. Egre,
giving an Account of his Defence of Brigadier An-
quetil's Fort - - Page 375
B. No. 1. Despatch of Major-Gen. Elphinstone to the
Secretary to the Government - - 386
No. 9. and 3. Extracts from Memorandum of Major-
Gen. Elphinstone - - 388
C. Parliamentary Papers.
No. 1. Translation of a Communication from Mahomed
Akber to Gen. Pollock - - 391
No. 2. Conversation between Sirdar Mahomed Akber
Khan, Major Pottinger, and Capt. Troup - 393
No. 3. Oen. Pollock to the Secretary to Government
394
D. Lieut. Crawford's Account of the Loss of Ghuznee, &c.
396
E. Letter from Mohun Lall - - . - - 412
F. Letter from the released Prisoners to Sir Richmond
Shakespear, and his Reply - - 417
G. List of Civil and Military Of6cers killed at and near
Cabul ; and also those saved of the Cabul Force 419
H. List of Prisoners released - 424
APPENDIX.
THE following is the communication from Captain
Colin Mackenzie referred to in the Author's preface,
and at pp. 25. 44, which did not arrive with the first
MS. - EDITOR.
MY DEAR EYRE,
As you wish fm an account of the manner in
which I was besieged in the Kelai-Nishan Khan, in
the breaking out of the Cabul insurrection, I comply,
although unwilling to appear so often in the first per-
son, as I necessarily must, in order to give you a clear
idea of the fatal nature of the blunder committed, in
not sending me assistance from cantonments. I have
by me a copy of some notes, which I made at the request
of the late Major Thain, then Aide-de-camp to our
lamented chief, General Elphinstone. You are aware
that the fort, in which I chanced to be living, con-
tained the godowns of the Shah's commissariat; and
that in one part the quarters of Brigadier Anquetil
were situated. For the defence of these, a guard of
376 APPENDIX.
one havildar, two naicks, and eighteen sepoys had been
assigned. The fort itself lies between that quarter of
Cabul called the Moorad Khanah and its most western
suburb, the'Deh-i-Affghan. The Cabul river flows
between the fort and the Kuzzilbash quarter (the
Chundoul), to the south. Close to it, to the north,
divided by a narrow road and a high wall, is a large
grove of mulberry trees, known by the name of the
Yaboo Khanah, in which the Yaboos of the Shah's
commissariat used to be kept; but from which, to-
wards the end of October, 1841, they had fortunately
been removed into camp at Seeah Sung. In this Yaboo
Khanah was a guard of six suwm ; and, by chance, a
detachment of a jemadar, and ninety-five men of Cap-
tain Ferris's Juzailchees; as a h another of the Shah's
irappers, consisting of one jemadar and fifty-nine men,
including havildars and naicks. These last were en-
cumbered with a host of women and children, brought
up from their native country with them by the express
orders of the Supreme Government. The house of
Captain Troup, late Brigade-Major of the Shah's force,
built so as to be capable of a tolerable defence, is
about forty yards to the east of the fort, across a nar-
row canal; and the large tower, occupied by the late
Captain Trevor and his family, lies acrosa the river to
the south-east, distant about 700 yards. This also, at
the time, was perfectly defensible. You will easily
perceive that, with these posts in our possession, and
commanding, as we did, the open space between us, it
was a point of importance to mai-ntain our ground
until the arrival of what we hourly expected, a regi-
ment from the cantonment, whose presence would
have immediately decided the wavering Kuzzilbashes
APPENDIX. 377
i n our favour, and would have cut off all communica-
tion between t he insurgent population of Deh-i-Aff-
ghan and their rascally brethren in t he Moorad
Khanah. Spreading far beyond t he Yaboo Khanah,
i n the direction of cantonments, and circling round t he
west of t he fort down t o t he river's edge, are walled
gardens and groves, which afford excellent cover to a
lurking enemy, who were enabled to come, without
much danger, to within a few yards of my defences.
Earl y on t he morning of the 2d of November, 1841,
as I was preparing to go into cantonments with my
baggage, intending t o accompany the Envoy on t he
following day down t o Peshawur, i t was reported to
me that an alarming riot had taken place in the town.
Brigadier Anquetil and Captain Troup had gone out
on their usual morning ride, not supposing t he dis-
turbance was of the importance i t has since proved to
be. I waited for the return of the above two officers
for about an hour, previous to adopting decided mea-
sures, either for defence or retreat,-at the same time
causing all the guards t o stand to their arms. Sud-
denly a naked man stood before me, covered with
blood, from two deep sabre cuts in t he head, and five
musquet-shots in t he arm and body. He proved to be
a suwar of Sir W. Macnaghten, who had been sent
with a message to Captain Trevor, but who had been
intercepted by the insurgents. Thi s being rather a
strong hint as to how matters were going on, I imme-
diately gave orders for all the gates to be secured, and
personally superintended t he removal of t he detach-
ments in t he Yaboo Khanah, with their wives and
families, into t he fort. At t he same time I caused
loopholes to be bored in the upper walls of Captain
378 APPENDIX.
Troup's house, in which were a naick and ten sepoys.
Whilst MI employed, the arm& population of Deh-i-
Affghan came pouring down through the gardens, and
commenced firing on us. I threw out skirmishers ; but,
in order to save the helpless followers, we were
obliged to abandon the tents and baggage. I n cover-
ing the retreat, one of my men was killed, and one
badly wounded; while about five of the enemy were
killed. The whole of the gardens were then occupied
by the Affghans, from which, in spite of repeated sallies
made during the day, we were unable to dislodge
them; on the contrary, whenever we returned into
the fort, they approached so near as ta be able, them-
selves unseen, to kill and wound my men through the
loopholes of my own defences. The canal was during
the day cut off, and so closely watched, that one of
my followers was shot, while trying to fetch some
water; but we fortunately found an old wen in Briga-
dier Anquetil's quarters, the water of which was drink-
able. Towards the afternoon, having no ammunition,
but what was contained in the soldiers' pouches, I
communicated with Captain Trevor, who still held his
tower, apparently unmolested. Even then, Khan
Shereen Khan, the chief of the Kuzzilbashes, and four
or five other Khans of consequence, among ' them the
leaders of the Hazirbash regiments, were with poor
Trevor, earnestly expecting thaf some decided measures
on the part of the British wouldjusCify them i n openly
taking otcr part. *
* During the expedition into Kohistan, under General Mac-
caskill. I accompanied it, having been placed by General Pol-
lock in charge of Shahzadee Shapoor and the Kuzzilbash camp.
In my frequent communications with Khan Shereen Khan, some
APPENDIX. 379
Trevor despatched my requisition, for ammunition at
least, if not for more effectual assistance, into canton-
ments, where i t arrived safely, t he distance not being
more than one mile and a half. Shortly after, our spirits
.
were raised by t he apparent approach of a heavy can-
nonade, and volleys of musquetry from t he direction
of the Moorad Khanah, and by t he flight through the
gardens OF t he multitudes who were assailing me,
towards Deh-i-Affghan, frorn which quarter crowds
of women and children began to ascend t he hill, evi-
dently in expectation of an assault from our soldiery.
But these cheering sounds died away, and i t was,in
vain that we strained our eyes, looking for the glitter-
ing bayonets through the trees, and round t he corners
of t he principal street leading from cantonments. My
besiegers swarmed back with shouts, and it required
much exertion on my part to prevent despondency
amongst my people, which feeling had been strongly
excited by t he confirmation of the rumour of the
murder of Si r Alexander Burnes, his brother, and
Captain Broadfoot; by the sight of t he smoke from
his burning house; and by the intelligence that t he
treasury of Captain Johnson, also in the town, had
been sacked, and t he guard slain. I n t he evening I
of the late Kuzzilbash leaders, and with other chiefs of the
Kuzzilbash faction, all the circumstances of the late insurrection
were over and over again recapitulated, one and all declaring
positively that the slightest exhibition of energy on our part in
the first instance, more especially in reinforcing my post and
that of Trevor, would at once have decided the Kuzzilbashes,
and all over whom they possessed any influence, in our favour.
Khan Shereen also confirmed the idea, that an offensive move-
ment on the opposite side of the town by Brigadier Shelton,
had it been made in the early part of the fatal 2d of November,
would at once have crushed the insurrection.
380 APPENDIX.
served out provisions from t he government stores. Th e
attacks continued at intervals during t he night, and we
had most d-ble suspicions that t he enemy were
undermining our north-west tower, or bastion. A t
early dawn we sallied out to ascertain this, but were
driven i n again, after finding our apprehensions too
well verified. There is much dead ground about al l
Affghan forts, on which it is impossible to bring mus-
quetry t o bear ; and t he towera can always be under-
mined, in t he absence of hand-grenades on t he part of
t he besieged. To meet this attempt, we sunk a shaft
i ~ i d e the ground-floor of t he tower, and I placed four
resolute men on t he brink, ready t o shoot t he first man
who should enter. The extent of t he fort requil-ed all
my men to be on duty at the same time, and some now
began to wax weary. Th e cheerfulness of t he re-
mainder was not improved by t he incessant howling of
t he women over t he dead and dying. As a trait indi-
cative of the character of t he Affghan juzailcheeq I
must mention, that whenever they could snatch five
minutes to refresh themselves with a pipe, one or other
of them would twang a sort of rude guitar, as an ac-
companiment to some martial song, which, mingling
with the above notes of war, sounded very strangely.
I n the middle of this day (3d November), to my
great grief, I saw the enemy enter Captain Trevor's
tower ; and a report was brought t o us by two of his
servants, who escaped across the river, that he and his
family had all been killed, which, though i t afterwards
proved to be untrue, had a bad effect on my men,
whose ammunition had now become very scarce, in
spite of my having husbanded i t with the greatest care.
The scene of plunder now going on in Trevor's house
APPENDIX. 38 1
was evident from our ramparts ; and t he enemy, taking
possession of t he top, which overlooked my defences,
-
pi t ched their balls from their large juzails with such
accuracy, as to clear my western face of defenders;
a nd i t was only by crawling on my hands and knees
up a small flight of steps, and whisking suddenly
t hrough t he door, that I could ever visit t he tower
t hat had been undermined. The guard from Captain
Troup' s house now clamoured for admittance into t he
fort ; and as Mr. Ballon, that gentleman's writer, called
out to me that they were ready to abandon their post,
I let them in, barricading my own door with sacks of
flour. Against t he door and small wicket, on Brigadier
Anquetil's side, I had already piled heaps of stones
and large timbers.
. I n t he afternoon the enemy brought down a large
wall-piece against us, t he balls from which shook the
upper walls of one of our towers, alarming the juzail-
chees much, who dread the effect of any species of
ordnance. This disposition to despair was increased by
the utter failure of ammunition, and by t he Affghans
bringing down quantities of fire-wood and long poles
with combustible matter a t t he ends, which they de-
posited under t he walls of t he Yaboo Khanah, in
readiness t o burn down my door. Some suwars who
were stationed on Brigadier Anquetil's side of t he fort,
now broke into a sort of half-mutiny, and began pul-
ling down the barricade against his gate, to endeavour
to save themselves by t he speed of their horses. This
I quelled, by going down amongst them with a double-
barrelled gun, and threatening to shoot t he first man
who should disobey my orders. I n t he evening I was
quite exhausted, as were my people ; having by that
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APPENDIX. 383
Before we had proceeded half a mile, t he rear
missed t he advance, upon whom a post of t he enemy
had begun to fire. Al l my regulars had crept a-head
with t he juzailchees, and I found myself alone with a
chuprassee and two suwars, i n t he midst of a helpless
and wailing crowd of women and children. Riding on
by myself along a narrow lane, t o try and pick out t he
road, I found myself suddenly surrounded by a party
of Affghans, whom a t f i nt I took t o be my own juzail-
chees, and spoke to them as such. . They quickly un-
deceived me, however, by crying out " Feringhee
hust," " Here is an European," and attacking me with
swords and knives. Spurring my horse violently, I
wheeled round, cutting from right t o left, for I, for-
tunately, had my own sword drawn previous to t he
surprise. My blows, by God' s mercy, parried the
greater part of theirs, and I was lucky enough t o cut
off t he hand of my most outrageous assailant. I n
short, after a desperate struggle, during which T re-
ceived two slight sabre cuts, and a blow on t he back
of my head from a fellow, whose sword turned in his
hand, which knocked me half off my horse, I escaped
out of t he crush, passing unhurt through two volleys
of mnsquetry from t he whole picket, which, by t hat
time, had become alarmed, and had turned out. They
pursued me; but I soon distanced them, crossing
several fields at speed, and gaining a road, which I
perceived led round t he western end of t he Shah's
garden. Proceeding cautiously along, t o my horror,
I perceived my path again blocked up by a dense
body of Affghans. Retreat was impossible ; so, put-
ting my trust in God, I charged into the midst of
them, hoping that the weight of my horse would clear
my way for me, and reserving my sword-cut for t he
last struggle. T t was well that I did so, for by t he
time I had knocked over some twenty fellows, I found
that they were my own juzailcheea I f you ever ex-
perienced sudden relief from a hideous nightmare,
you may imagine my feelings for t he moment. Wi t h
these worthies, after wandering about for some time,
and passing unchallenged by a sleepy post of t he
enemy, I reached t he cantonment.. Duri ng t he ni ght
many stragglers of my party, principally followers,
dropped in. Duri ng the whole business, from first t o
last, including t he retreat, I had under a dozen killed,
and about half that amount wounded, nearly half t he
former being followers; whereas about thirty of t he
enemy had bitten t he dust, and gone t o their place.
I cannot close this letter to you without remarking
that, amongst other lamentable errow which led t o our
heavy downfall, that of omitting in t he first instance
t o strengthen my post was, next to Shelton's refusal
to pour his brigade into t he town, while t he rioters
pet amounted to barely 200 men, t he greatest. But
t he whole blame cannot, in this particular instance, be
attributed t o our poor friend General Elphinstone.
He had not been sufficiently informed as t o t he im-
portance of my position, nor as t o the facility with
which a strong reinforcement could have reached me.
That he was specially anxious personally as t o my
safety there could be no doubt, as was shown by t he
warmth of his reception of me.
I need not remind you of the devoted heroism dis-
played throughout t he siege by Hussain Khan, the
juzailchee jemadar, and the handful of brave men
who accompanied him, and who personally attaching
APPENDIX. 385
themselves t o me remained under my command t o
t he last. Numbers of them fell ; others were disabled ;
a few departed to their own homes, on the day when I
was taken prisoner, and Si r W. Macnaghten was
murdered; and, I believe, nearly t he sole survivors
are some ten or fifteen men, who, with their brave
leader, Hussain Khan, are now with us in camp. .
These proceed with the rest of the juzailchee corps
under Captain Ferris t o Ferozepore, where we hear
they are t o be disbanded, and sent back to their own
country, to be destroyed by their bloodthirsty coun- .
trymen as a reward for their fidelity t o us ; and yet
these were t he men, who, during the period I was be-
leaguered in t he fort of Nishan Khan, at a time when
I was quite unknown to them, not only refused t o
listen to the repeated propositions of the Affghans out-
side to deliver me up t o their vengeance, their own
safety being thereby insured ; but who, duriug the
siege of cantonments, laughed t o scorn t he most
tempting offers on t he part of Arneenoollah Khan,
Mahomed Akbar, and other Affghan chiefs, t o induce
them to join the general cause of Islam against t he
Kaffirs, invariably bringing t he letters, in which they
were conveyed, for my inspection and perusal. *
Yours very sincerely,
C. MAc KEN~I E.
Camp Rawnl Pindee.
En route to Ferozepore, Nov. 19. 1842.
They were disbanded at Jelum, in the Punjab, each of the
old ~oldiers receiving a donation of twelve months' pay, and the
rest a gratuity in proportion to the length of their services, with
which they all seemed very well satisfied. -V. E.
,
B. No. 1.
I
DESPATCH ?ROV MAJOR-GEN. ELPHINSTONE, AD-
DRESSED TO THE SECRETARY TO THE GOVBBN-
MENT.
BuddeeaW
Sr~,-\Vith the deepest regret, I have t he honour to
forward, for the information of t he Ri g h t Hon. the
Governor-General in Council, t he annexed memoran-
dum of occurrences preceding and dur i ng the insur-
rection at Cabul, up t o this date.
The state of my health aud mental sufferings previous
I
to, and consequent on, t he unfortunate occurrenc6
,
render me little competent t o furnish such conlplete
information as I might have done, had i t not been for
the total destruction of my entire staff and all official
documents and memoranda ; and I have only been able
t o remedy t he deficiency through t he kind assistance
of Major Pottinger and Capt. Lawrence, who having
aided me with facts and dates, 1 trust, however meagre
t he account may be, t hat its tenor is, upon the ~vhole,
perfectly correct.
I beg t o be allowed t o express my sense of the
gallant manner, in which the various detachments sent
out were led by Brigadier Shelton, and of the in-
variably noble conduct of the officers on those occa-
sions, particularly of those who fell leading their men;
viz. Col. Mackrell, Capts. Swayne, Robinson, M'Crea,
and Lieut. Raban, H. M.'s 44th Foot ; Col. Oliverand
Capt. Macintosh,. 5t h N. I. ; Capt. Westmacott and
Li e ut Gordon, 37th N.I. ; Capt. Walker, 4t h Local
Horse, and Lieut. Laing, 27th N.I.
APPENDIX. 387
T hope I may also be permitted t o record my sense
of thezealand exertions of my lamented Aide-de-camp
Major Thain, and my acting Quarter-Master-General
Capt. Paton, both of whom were severely wounded, as
also Capt. Grant, Assist.-Adj.-Gen., and my Aide-de-
Camp Capt. Airey. I had inadvertently omitted Capt.
Bellew, Assist.-Quarter-Master-General, who, at t he
storm of t he Rika-bashee and Mahomed Sherreef' s
fort, evinced the greatest gallantry, and volunteered to
carry t he powder-bags.
From Brigadier Anquetil, commanding t he Shah's
force, and Col. Chambers, commanding the cavalry, I
on all occasions received t he most cordial assistance ;
and I take this opportunity to record t he ever-ready
zeal and gallant conduct of Capt. Troup, Major of
Brigade, Shah Shooja's force.
Throughout t he whole siege t he utmost zeal wrts
manifested by Lieut. Sturt, Engineers, and by Lieut.
V. Eyre, Commissary of Ordnance, who, in conse-
quence of t he paucity of al-tillery officers, on all occa-
sions volunteered his services, and was unfortunately
wounded.
Capt. Colin M6Kenzie, Assist. Political Agent, Pe-
shawur, volunteered t o take charge of a body of J u-
zailchees, and was engaged in every affair, his and their
conduct being most conspicuous.
The manner in which the soldiers, European and
Native, bore up without a murmur against all privations
and yery harassing duty, at a most i ncl eme~~t season,
was highly creditable to them, and more particularly
the horse-artillery, who on all occasions upheld the
character of that distinguished corps.
Among t he many valuable and promising officers
s 2
388 APPENDIX.
who have fallen in the recent retreat, I would espe-
cially mention Captains Skinner and Hay, 61st and
95th N. I. ; Lieut. Le Geyt, Shah's 2d Cavalry; and
Lieut. Bird, Shah's 6th Infantry ; the latter officer dis-
tinguished himself in the assault and capture of the
Rika-bashee Fort.
Of the surviving officers, my thanks are due to
Major Eldred Pottinger, C.B., Political Agent, and
Capt. George St. P. Lawrence, Military Secretary
to the late Envoy and Minister, for their cordial assist-
ance and co-operation till the death of their lamented
chief; and to Capt. Anderson, Shah's 2d Cavalry, and
Capt. Bygrave, Paymaster, for their zeal and alacrity
in the performance of their duty, amid trials and diffi-
culties almost unprecedented.
I have the honour, &c.
W. K. ELPHINSTONE.
To the Secretary to Government.
B. No. 2.
The following extracts from a memorandum of
Major-Gen. Elphinstone deserve attention, both as
supporting some of the Author's statements, and ex-
hibiting in some degree the unfortunate General's dis-
advantages, as enumerated by himself.- EDITOF.
# # # # #
c6 I was unlucky in the state of my health ; as, during
the whole siege, I was not able to move without diffi-
culty, except on horseback, and then not easily. On
APPENDIX. 389
t he evening of the 2d, going round the guards, I had
a very severe fall, t he horse falling on me. I was
obliged t o return home therefore. I then asked Cap-
tains Paton and Grant if they thought all had been
done, and told them t o see t hat Brigadier Anquetil
made the arrangements in t he mission compound ; and
it was a great loss t o me that, shortly after his coming
into cantonments, he was taken ill, by which I was de-
prived of his assistance, which he would cordially have
afforded me. The extent of the cantot~ment- the
unznished state of every thing in it - its indefensible
position, conamanded as it was on every side -par-
ticulurly the facilities a8orded for the approach of
,matchlocks - added much to our dz@culties. The
troops were on half rations, and the whole of them on
duty every night, and often all day, from threatened
attacks. The want of artillery officers, notwithstand-
ing Capt. (Li eut ) Eyre's volunteering, Capt. Waller
being wounded early in the business.-On t he 9th, not
finding myself equal t o the duties, particularly at night,
when I could not get about on horseback, I recalled
Brigadier Shelton from t he Bala Hissar. * * * *
I was unlucky, also, in not understiu~ding the state of
things, and being wholly dependent on the Envoy and
others for information." * * * *
B. No. 3.
The passage next quoted clearly shows t hat ' i t was
in obedience to the General's order that t he married
s 3
390 APPENDIX.
officers, as well as their wives and children, resigned
then~selves t o Mahomed Akbar. This is, of course, a
point of peculiar interest to those officers, especially
as misrepresentation upon i t has gone forth. -
EDITOR.
Extract from a Memandurn by Major-General
FV. K. Elphinstone, C. B, of the Events preceding
and during the htsurrection at Cabul.
On the 9t h (January) t he march was ordered at
10 A. M., but, consequent on a message from the Sir-
dar, requesting us to halt till he could organize an
escort for us, and promising supplies and firewood, i t
was countermanded. But a similar scene of confusion
t o that of the day before had taken place, and i t was
past mid-day before any thing like order was restored.
" Captain Skinner returned to the Sirdar, by whom
he was again sent back with a proposal that the married
people and their families should be n~a de over to him,
promising honourable treatment to the ladies. I com-
plied with his wish, being desirous to remove t he ladies
and children, after the horrors they had already wit-
nessed, from the further dangers of a camp, and hoping
that, as from the very commencement of negotiations
the Sirdar had shown the greatest anxiety to have the
marriedpeople as hosiages, this mark of trust might
elicit a corresponding feeling i n him.
(Signed) W. K. ELPHINSTONE,
Major-General."
APPENDIX.
C. No. 1.
PARLI A~~ENTARY PAPERS, NO. 922.
T~a ns ht i on of a Paper from Mahomed &bar m a n ,
received by Gen. PollocR on the 8th of May, 1842,
by the hands of Cupt. Mackeazie.
MY FRIEND, - I n the letter for Pottinger Saheb,
which Mackenzie has brought, there is nothing to give
me confidence. I have, therefore, thought it necessary
to send Mackenzie Saheb t o you a second time.
When first Secunder Burnes came, I did all in my
power that t he wishes of the English Government
might be realized ; but the English Government would
not agree to give assistance, if a foreign enemy invaded
this country, and nothing was settled. After that,
when an English army entered my country, I was
compelled t o be your enemy, and was three years a
wanderer, and returned at t he end of the confusion
(Cabul insurrection). I n t he time when Pottinger,
Lawrence, and Mackenzie Sahebs came, at the stage of
Bootkak, I agreed to their wishes, and did all in my
power to protect the army, as is well known to t he
above-mentioned Sahebs : but I could not save them
from the hands of t he multitude*, as all the army was
disorganized, and the British soldiers could not protect
themselves on account of the frost, and, moreover, the
gentlemen did not attend t o my advice.
2dly. I f I allow t he English, who are my guests, t o
depart according to your suggestion, or, according t o
Pottinger Saheb's advice, if I allow the English ladies
The word alludes to the mob of Affghans, whom the Sirdar
means to say he could not govern.
s 4
.*
,- > . .- :- , - , in either case all Ma-
... d-.- r:: L ~ L - - BS their enemc, d &
- - - LE ILL-Y -1 'X to me. Under h
-.\-\- % ywa tu mflect that, not h a 5 ~
:- a= I; AZ LL~ with you, and having m d ~
.. .
.IT u;t- t zt-n ' I - ) , how can I exist? Ax
- : x 3- hi ik bave possessed them-
-t. tz I -LC . * e m of Cabul, and all of them
r .*, A. - u ax -3m ur f i w men with oaths acd
V.LCLI.).~;- -.;'.I-% ~I K conlc and be their
. .;1 LG h-ii ,'- \\-weer. All the Ghil-
-T.Z ~t 2. KT-. and L frtW the friendship I bear
. U, A*.
L .-.+Lx.zc : > 'x King of Cabul, since to be
w I.'. IWC -xx dv of being your enemy.
1 . k - t c i :. Ur :r:r&,p to the throne (of Cabul),
JYL :;s- t : u*:u p u ('&ti now, the men of Ca-
.UI rt. Y - L Z -me 1Lt-uard. ami then it would be dif-
?r .l:: :tt -c:i- pw jmrf to be on friendly terms
w ::I >VL C'U :a& a-t 1 haw written, to show
11. x t f ' ~ s , \ * ro YW -pwrnment. Please God, my
lu.;b:\\% s l ~ l ~\LYCJ the injuries I have done you.
C h i ~wil\i~aou &a we an h d s , let t h e terms of
r' r!~;i \ i a. p !wrutua ara l u ~ fiiendq such as Ma-
:?ou~-d *& Khan smi 0th- be written out, and be
ziac 'wrjw the mvlpt of my guests in your camp, that
l u ~ u ~ it.c.1 cuutiden~u. The other matters have been
exylaiutd to C'spt 31ackemie verbally, and he will
make thw bowu to you. I hope you will write down
eve? article iu a treaty signed and sealed.
(There is no seal f- to this document.)
+
The Sirdar has not sipwd it, as he fears it may be used
q+mt bb, in crrse of your not closing with his terms."-biojor
Po t t i np tu Gen. Pohck, Pad Pupets, 590.
t " The ckumstartce of receiving a Persian memorandum
APPENDIX.
C. No. 2.
FROM TIIE PAPERS PRESENTED TO PARLIAMENT ON
THE MILITARY OPERATIONS I N AFFGHANISTAN.
No. 461.
Conversation between Sirdar Mahomed Akbar Khan,
1Wq.o~ Pottinger, a nd Capt. Troup, on tjle .Morning
of the 29th of July, 1812.
Mahomed Akbar opened the conversation by stating
that i t was recommended that great men should ask
advice of each other, and related the fable of t he
besieged king. He then told us he wanted advice as
to what he should do ; and, in answer to the question
what his own wishes were, declared he required only
our promise of friendship. Major Pottinger then -
pr emi si ~~g that he must bear in mind that, though the
Vizier had his own authority in full, we were servants,
and could, therefore, not give advice if our opinions
were contrary t o our king's interests- said, however,
that, as far as did not clash with our duty, we would
be happy t o do so, and therefore advised that the
prisoners should be at once sent down ; for if a delay
took place, i t would come within the declaration of
Cien. Pollock, " that the business was off, if any delay
took place ;" however, as t he Chief stated he agreed
t o the General's proposition, i t might pass, if he wrote
down that he agreed to the proposition ; but, as t he
Affghans considered the statement confused and a
little doubtful, he sent a memorandum of what they
without seal or signature does not evince that confidence and
good faith, which ought to be shown when a good understanding
between parties is desired." - Gen. Pollock to Major Pottinger,
Purl. Papers, 323.
s 5
- - ,- -- - = dw if it were
: - 3 ; = t r r l CPr l : k i ~ + mf b r mh i r n o f
- --
- - - r a z ia r wzix&- I7nder these
--.
--5 =r F- = mmider the
- .
-: - m~ as r r mi d r k t d l y be so,
.- I. T .)Lt B ~ * h i m B ~ t O s e n d
- - --unrr, 1 xt 4- v&kd m make terms.
-
. r~ =muh -ma~Z mx gim up the
.-. .- - T-=. -c=zrs-.PdthiLtthe
- .- - -=- I. e - a -him; thatwe
1 - ... .rr r r DT z k u rele~fe
. - - ---z-- - 7- ~~s aumrbebarri t hat
- - - :-A -3%~ ,?. -i Lr d d the
L - -- --:. if I - ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ + b a P ~ k m g a s
- - .zlrr I .-+-i xz h k rmM take
..-
. - J : A- rtr W rcrw to the
1 -. - -- =.. L. -l arr3y-dthree5 - -
- . -
-
- " I,.%- mI= J r3LljeS.
APPENDIX. 395
ment at Cabul, the effect of which would be to
thoroughly dishearten such chiefs as look to our assist-
ance for the means of freeing themselves from his
tyranny. Were I to say that I should leave this valley
in October, the reply would be that the prisoners
would be sent t hen; but such a promise would so
strengthen Mahomed Akbar, that I think i t pro-
bable that he, when t he time arrived, finding that our
advance on Cabul was impossible for the next seven
months, might be tempted to procrastinate, under the
idea that we had determined to withdraw our troops,
and that, after our departure, he might obtain a large
sum as ransom for the prisoners. Apart from this, i t
is impossible for me to pledge myself to withdraw on
a certain date ; apd I, of course, could not take up011
myself to issue any order t o General Nott.
The advance of a brigade t o Futteeabad will tend
to alarm Mahomed Akbar, and make him t he more
anxious to induce us to quit the country. Capt.Tronp
has expressed a doubt on this subject, and fears that
this step may induce Mahomed Akbar to send t he
prisoners t o Toorkistan ; but I cannot think this will
occur, as I have reason to suppose there is a strong
party a t Cabul, which has determined not to allow the
removal of our prisoners ; and I also believe' that the
Wallee of Khooloom has written refusing t o receive
Mahomed Akbar if accompanied by the prisoners.
I have, &c.
G. POLLOCK.
APPENDIX.
D.
The following account by LKEUT. CRAWPORD, of
t he Sd Bombay N. I., of t he loss of Ghuznee, and t he
imprisonment of himself and his brother officers, is
taken from the Bombay Courier. - EDITOR.
I n my letter of the 8t h instant, I promised that a t
my earliest convenience I would send you a full, true,
and particular account of all my adventures during t he
past year,and I nowtake upmy pen to fulfil my promise,
and, without further preamble, commence my narra-.
tive at once from the period of my quitting Candahar.
"1 left that city on t he 30th October last year, hav-
i ng under my charge three state prisoners and seven
hostages t o be escorted to Cabool; and, for the safe-
guard of t he same, I was accompanied by a troop
from my own corps, and about forty Affghan horse
under a chief called Guddoo Khan. I t mas on t he
7t h November we reached Oha; we had marched
rapidly, but in perfect peace, and as little expected t o
be attacked on t he road as I do at this moment. You
may imagine, therefore, how thunderstruck I was,
when Guddoo Khan entered my tent, bringing with
him a native official of that part of the country, styled
t he Ur z Beggie, who gave me an account of the dis-
asters in Cabool on the second of the month, and, as
I afterwards found, bad as matters really were a t the
capital, he made them out t o be much more so. H e
strongly pressed my returning to Khelat-i-Ghilzie,
saying that there were 20,000 men round Ghuznee,
and to go on would be t o certain death. I considered,
however, i t would never do for an officer to turn back
APPENDIX. . 397
o n a mere rumour of danger, and that, should t he
man' s story really be true, still I had a better chance
o f reaching Ghuznee, which was only fifty-four miles
off, than Khelat, which was ninety. Ti red though my
horses were, they might make Ghuznee in one forced
march, but they would not be able t o get to t he other
station under a couple of days ; t he road lay through
t h e barren and hostile country of the Ghiljies, and, as
I subsequently discovered, i t proved that Urz Beggie
was a traitor; he wished to get me back through the
Ghiljie districts, as he himself was a man of that
tribe, and would have raised t he whole country about
my ears ; not a man of us would have escaped to tell
t he tale. After duly considering all the pros and cons
of the case, I mounted my detachment at 8 P. nr. and
moved on toward Ghuznee. We marched rapidly the
whole night, alld by daylight had reached Nanee,
about thirteen miles from Ghuznee ; but the first
streak of dawn showed us that the people were on t he
al ert ; there were videttes on every hill ; and in a very
short time word was passed from fort to fort, and
their inhabitants turned out, hanging on my flanks and
rear, and firing with their rifles a t us. Their horse-
men were bolder; they swarmed round us like wasps,
riding up, firing their pieces into our troop, and gal-
loping off to re-load. We were nearly helpless agai ~l st
such a foe; twice we charged and cut up a few,
but the rascals always sought shelter near the nu-
merous forts that covered the plain, and then laughed
at us. I n addition to not being able to catch the
villains, we found that every time we charged or
halted to show a front, i t only gave the enemy time
t o circle round our flanks and head us ; and their
fo'xrm Jeo m mp 6Fa the reor. Accordingly we
kt1 the lood akogetbcr, d turned out into the
pkn,rlere tbe f f o o d -dare dare followus;
a d indeed promdi ng at the trot we pretty well
shook 0tt these gentr~, bat the homemen still fol-
bred; and, to rdd to our tmables, I found that the
ponies, on which the prisooers were momted, were
exbaasted, and eopM proceed no further. As they
knocked u p I doubled the riders on the other animals ;
but, one after mother, they gare in. One prisoner was
cut down a horseman of the enemy (plainly show-
ing there r a s w collusion beheen them); two
others d e d over in a ditch, where, with their horse
a-top of them, and their legs chained under his belly,
I left them ; indeed, I now found it was impossible I
could ever get my charge into Ghnznee alive, and I had
on+- to decide on putting them to death or setting
them at liberty. JIy instructions would have justified
my pursuing the former course, but the poor wretches
had clearly made no attempt to escape; they were
in no manner answerable for the attack made on
my party, as was evident from one of their number
falling by the sword of our adversaries; and I con-
ceived then, and do now conceive, that, in letting these
men go with their lives, I was not only acting accord-
ing to the strict letter of my instructions, but that
justice and humanity required I should not slay them
in cold blood. Had 1 put them to death, then Shum-
soodeen or Mahomed Akbar would have been equally
justified in taking our lives (the lives of all their pri-
soners) on the advance of Pollock and Nott on Cabul.
I nlay add, that the court of inquiry, which I called for,
after investigating all the circumstances, decided that
APPENDIX. 399
I had acted perfectly right. But to return to my
story. After following and harassing us for miles, the
enemy drew off when we got near Ghuznee, and I
reached that place about 10 A.M. on t he Sth, with the
loss of all my baggage and prisonera, and fifteen men
and twenty horses killed, and several wounded, out of
my little party. Every day now brought us bad ac-
counts from Cabul ; and the infatuation, that appears
t o have seized t he chief authorities there, not o~i l y
hurried them on to ruin at the capital, but also para-
lysed us at Ghuznee. Can you imagine that the ne-
cessary repairs and alterations in the citadel were not
sanctioned, nor was Palmer permitted to lay in pro-
visions? At t he eleventh hour, t he Colonel took the
responsibility upon himself, and set t o work ; but most
invaluable time had been suffered to pass unimproved,
and, when the enemy made their appearance under
our walls, they found us but ill prepared for a siege,
especially when i t was not nlan alone we had to com-
bat with, but t he rigours of a winter as intense as that
of Canada. The enemy and t he snow made their
appearance together: on t he 20th of November t he
town was surrounded with the one, and t he ground
covered with t he ot her; but in a week afterwards the
insurgents broke up their investment of t he place, on
report of M4Laren's brigade advancing t o our relief.
,This permitted our destroying t he villages and build-
ings within musket shot of the walls, and also afforded
us a week's skating on the ditch ; but on t he 7t h of
December the enemy returned in increased numbers,
and we were then closely confined to t he walls. The
necessity and advantage of turning t he inhabitants
out of t he town was not lost sight of; but, nnfortu-
400 APPENDIX.
nately for us, an idea had got abroad t hat t he toms-
people were strongly attached to us, and that the
sending out ao many poor people to perish in t he
snow was an act of cruelty too great to be dreamt of-
The consequence was, that the townsmen entered into
a correnpondence with their countrymen on t he out-
side; and on the night of t he 16th of December, having
dug a hole through t he town, they admitted their
friends, who poured in by thousands, and compelled
us, after fighting all that night and the next day, t o
retire into t he citadel. I t so happened that from this
day the winter set in with increased severity, and
its effects soon told fearfully upon t he men. The
whole garrison, officers and men, were told off into
three watches, one of which was constantly on dut y;
so that every one in the place was eight hours on duty
out of the twenty-four, and you may imagine t hat
such constant work and exposure to the intense cold
very soon rendered t he sepoys useless. The snow lay
deep, very deep, and often in t he course of a single
night would fall to t he depth of a couple of feet!
The thermometer sunk to ten, twelve, and even four-
teen degrees below zero I and t o such weather were the
natives of India exposed day and night, with no pros-
pect of relief, and with no comforts t o enable them
t o support their sufferings I We were reduced to half
rations of bad flour and raw grain on alternate days,
and a seer of wood per man each day was all that
could be allowed either for cooking or warmth. The
sepoys, constantly soaked and unable to dry themselves,
got sickly, and the hospital was crowded with men,
whose feet had ulcerated from frost bites. I do think,
that if the enemy had had pluck enough t o have made
APPENDIX. 4.01
a rush upon us, they could at any time, after Christ-
mas-day, have carried the works with very little diffi-
culty ; as i t was, however, they contented themselves
with keeping up a smart fire with their rifles, and not
a man could show his head above the walls for a mo-
ment. Up to the 15th of January this work continued,
and we lost three or four men daily from t he fire of
their marksmen ; but on the day mentioned some sort
of a truce was entered into, and active hostilities
ceased, i t being ullderstood we were t o evacuate the
.place on t he arrival of Shumsoodeen Khan. This
worthy did not arrive till the middle of the following
month, and even then the Colonel managed t o keep
him in play till the beginning of March ; but at last he
and his chiefs would stand i t no longer, and said that,
if we did not give up t he place immediately, they
would recommence hostilities; and we, being utterly
helpless, having no water in t he citadel, and the snow
(on which we had depended for a supply) having all
vanished, our provisions being exhausted, and there
being no prospect of the arrival of succour, had no
resource but to make t he best ternis we could, and
trust to Providence that tire enemy would abide by
them. On the 6t h of March we marched out from the
citadel, under a treaty signed and solemnly sworn to
by all the chiefs, that we should be escorted in safety
and honour to Peshawur, with our colours, arms, and
baggage, and fifty rounds of ammunition per man.
There was still some snow in t he passes between
Ghuznee and Cabul ; and till that should melt, and
t he necessary carriage could be procured for us, we
were quartered in a portion of t he town immediately
below t he citadel. Scarcely had we entered our new
u, r h
flang off t he ma& a d
&, & bur
.rJPed oaths made to infidels.
it
7ft4 w&& d y every man of o m
,
r e rwo totdy unprepared for
outbral,
~; ha; ~eer d tapon our lines, and
d d in -ing &e LOIJQ6 in which my squadron
placrci
I ros in the next house, with
"f a and Si ehokon of the 27th
them br~og no h a t roup Pbr me in my own proper
qwtx ~n the uproar, I ran t o the roof
~ h 8 ~ was the mtter; and finding what had
t dr r l p h aummg mr mem, and that balls were flying
thick, I up Burnett. He had scarcely joined
me, when he wss straek down by a rifle ball, which
knocked his eye out ; and, as he was then rendered
h s de co~abut, l 1 d command of the two com-
panies of the Zth that had been under him, and
Sichulson and myself proceeded t o defend ourselves as
well w cireumstanes would permit. We were on the
left of the mass of houss occupied by our troops, and
the first and sharpest attacks were directed at us: the
enemy 61-4 our house, and gradually, as room after
room caught fire, we rere forced t o retreat to the
a he m tiU at last by midnight of the 9th our house
Was n e d y burnt in halves. We were exhausted with
hunger and thirst, having had nothing to cat or drink
since the morning of the 7th. Our ammunition was
expended, the place was filled with dead and dying
and Ou r Pwition was no longer tenable ; but the
Only entrance, in front of the house, was surrounded
by the
md we scarcely knew how to get out,
and
t o join Col. Palmer. At last we dug
a
thmugh the wall of the back of the house: we
APPENDIX. 403
had only bayonets t o work with, and i t cost us much
labour to make a hole sufficiently large to admit of one
man at a time dropping from i t into t he street below;
but we were fortunate enough to get clear out of our
ruined quarters in this way, and join the Colonel un-
perceived by t he savages round us. As soon as day
broke on the gth, they occupied our abandoned post,
and shortly afterwards attacked and carried t he next
house, in which were poor Lu~nsden and his wife, and
thirty sepoys, every one of whom, and their servants,
were put to death. On the morning of the l ot h,
Poett and Davis were obliged to retire from their
posts, and t he survivors here now assembled in the two
houses, held by Col. Palmer and the head-quarters of
the corps. You cannot picture to yourself the scene
these two houses presented ; every room was crammed,
not only with sepoys, but camp followers, men, women,
and children ; and i t is astonishing the slaughter
among them was not greater, seeing that the guns of
the citadel sent round-shot crashing through and
through the walls. I saw high-caste men groping in
the mud, endeavouring to discover pieces of unmelted
ice, that, by sucking them, they might relieve the
thirst that tormented them 1 Certainly, when that
morning dawned, I thought i t was the last I should
see on this earth ; and so did we all, and proceeded to
make a few little arrangements, ere the final attack on
us took place. The regimental colours were burnt,
to prevent their falling into t he hands of the enemy,
and I destroyed my watch, and flung it, and what
money I had, over the wall into the ditch. I also burnt
my poor wife's miniature, first cramming t he gold
frame of it into a musket, being determined that one
404 APPENDIX.
of the Ghszees should have his belly full of gold ere
I died. Honr after hour passed on, and still we sat
expecting every minute to hear the shout of the final
attack ; but it came not From our loopholes we saw
the eoemy swarming all around us in every lane and
house, and on the hill of the citadel. The place was
black with their masses ; and, as they themselves after-
wards told us, there were not less than 10,000 men there
thirsting for our blood. But it appears that Shum-
soodeen had been affected with some qualms of con-
science, and had held a council of his chiefs on the sub-
ject of admitting us to quarter. I should tell you that
during the three previous days' fighting, Shumsoodeeil
had repeatedly offered us terms, but they were such
as we could not accede to ; iuasmuch as they com-
m e n d by desiring we would surrender ourselves to
him, and abandon the sepoys to the fury of the
Ghazees. The sepoys, it appears, had held a con-
sultation among themselves, and, believing they had no
chance of their lives, determined on forcing their way
out of the town, and endeavouring to get to Peshawur.
When we first heard of this mad design, and spoke to
the men about it, they denied i t ; but on the 10th two
native officers came forward, and told us they had
made up their minds to go off that night; that, if we
chose to accompany them, they would be exceedingly
glad, but if otherwise, they would go alone. I t was in
vain we pointed out the utter impracticability of their
plan; they had got an idea among them, that Pe-
shawur was not above fifty or sixty miles off across
cowtry, and that there was a short cut to it, through
the mountains : they immediately commenced digging
a hole through the outer wall of the town, by which,
APPENDIX. 1M)5
as soon as it got dark, they might 'march out into the
country.
Seeing that our men had now flung off all authority,
and were about to desert us, we had nothing further
to do but to make the best bargain we could for our
lives. Shumsoodeen and all the Ghazee chiefs again
swore by all that was holy, that if we laid down our
arms we should be honourably treated, and sent to
Cabul to the Shah as soon as possible. At 10 P. M. we
surrendered. The chief sent and begged the officers
to come into the citadel immediately, as the Ghazees
were yelling for the blood of the Feringee Kaffirs,
and he could not answer for our safety, if we delayed
till daylight; and accordingly we went up to the cita-
del and gave up our swords, the chief placing bodies
of hie men round our late quarters, to keep the Gha-
zees from molesting the sepoys. A large party of these
latter, however, during the night, endeavoured to put
their ridiculous plan of flight into execution, and made
their way about two or three miles from the town: it
came on to snow heavily; they got bewildered in the
fields, and in the morning were all cut to pieces or
made prisoners. For the first few days after we had
surrendered, we were treated pretty tolerably; the
chief and his brother used to visit and condole with
us on the change of fortune we had experienced, and
expressed their sorrow at the violence of their fnnati-
cal followers not having permitted their strict observ-
ance of the treaty, on which we had yielded up the
citadel to them ; but gradually they discontinued their
visits ; every little thing we had managed to secure,
such as watches, penknives, money, &c., was taken
from us, and we were strictly confined to a small
406 APPENDIX.
room eighteen feet by thirteen. I n i t there were ten
of us, so you may imagine we had not much room to
spare; indeed, when we lay down at night we exactly
occupied the whole floor, and when we wanted to
take a little exercise we were obliged to walk up and
down (six paces) in turns. Few of us had a change of
linen, and the consequence was we were soon swarm-
ing with vermin, the catching of which afforded an
hour's employment every morning. I wore my soli-
tary shirt for five weekg till it became literally black
and rotten; and I am really surprised none of us con-
tracted any loathsome disease, from the state of filth
we were compelled to live in. On the 7th April we
heard of Shah Soojah's murder, and from that date
the severities of our confinement were redoubled ;
they shut and darkened the solitary window from
which we had hitherto derived light and air ; and they
also kept the door of our room constantly closed, so
that the air we breathed became perfectly pestiferous.
On the 21st of the month they tortured Col. Palmer
with a tent-peg and rope, in such a manner that it is
wonderful he ever recovered the use of his foot. I
cannot, in a letter, explain the process of the torture,
but we all witnessed it, and it was something on the
principle of the Scotch boot described in " Old Mor-
tality." We were told we should each be tortured io
our turn, unless we gave up four lacs of rupees, which
the rascals swore we had buried ; and, in case we con-
tinued obatinate, they told us we should be blown
from guns, beginning with the junior. This was a
pleasant sort of a life to lead, never being certain of
that life for twenty-four hours together. I think a
little similar experience would do some of the nems-
APPENDIX. 407
paper editors a deal of good, and render them not
quite so prone to lavish their criticisms on the con-
duct of unfortunates like ourselves. They sit under
their punkahs, drink lall shrub, and write leading arti-
cles, laying down the law and talking as familiarly on
military matters as maids " do c' of puppy dogq" -
the self-elected, self-constituted judges of mankind.
I n t he end of April, our guards suddenly became par-
ticularly civil to us for a few days, and we found out
they had a report of t he advance of our troops: in-
deed, on to the period of our actual release, we could
always form a pretty shrewd guess of what our troops
were about by the treatment we experienced at t he
hands of our captors : if there was any forward move-
ment among our people, any arrival of reinforcements
at Jellalabad or Candahar, &c., then we were treated
well for a few days, and we got better food ; but if our
people appeared to be idle, and things remained in
statu quo for a week, then our guards taunted us on
the unwarlike spirit of Feringee armies, and boasted
how they would exterminate them, if they advanced.
Goo1 Mahomed Khan, the brother of Shumshoodeen,
-rho had always behaved more civilly towards us than
t he big chief, was, unfortunately for us, despatched t o
Cabul on business about t he middle of April ; but I
believe i t wiw owing t o t he receipt of a letter from
him, that on the 12th May we were permitted to quit
our prison room, and walk on the terrace of the citadel
for one hour, and we were told that similar kindness
would be shown us once a week!! ! - namely, on
Friday,when Shumshoodeen was wont to make a kind
of religious nic nic to a neighbouring shrine. Even
this we thought a'great blessing, and used to count the
408 APPENDIX.
days and hours to each succeedi ng Friday, anxiously
expecting t he moment when our g u a r d would tell us
we might breathe God's fresh ai r, a n d look out on
t he green fields for the allotted peri od. I thought
I had always been a n admirer of t h e beautie of
nature, but I had never imagined t h a t t h e time would
have come, when t he sight of a few ordi nary fields of
clover and wheat would have caused m e such delight
in their contemplation I
On the 15th of June, Goo1 Mahomed returned fmm
Cabul, bringing with him some of t h e ladies of his
brother's family. On their account we wer e told We
should be removed t o other quarters, a n d of course
we expected a change for t he worse ; but, as it
eventually proved, we were agreeably disappointed.
Just at this period one of our number, Lieut. Davies,
27th N. I., had sickened with typhus fever ; we had
no medicines, no comforts for him, and he l ay on the
ground delirious, raving about home and his family,
and every hour proving worse, till, on t he 19th, death
put an end t o his sufferings. We read t he burial ser-
vice over him, and then made his body over to the
guard to bury; but I am afraid they merely flung the
poor fellow into a ditch outside t he gate. I t was a
melancholy ceremony t hat burial service: few among
us, I imagine, but thought it might be his t urn next,
especially now t hat sickness had broken out in such a
shape; however, on t he following day, we were re-
moved t o another building, where we had three or
four rooms t o ourselves, and a court-yard t o walk
about in, and our guard was replaced by a more civil
set. This was a delightful change; and being greedy of
fresh air after so long a deprivation of it, we made the
APPENDIX. 409
most of our new berth by always sleeping in the open
ai r in t he court-yard. It is true, it was utterly impos-
sible t o get a minute's rest in any of the rooms
allotted to us, as they were swarming with the foulest
vermin, so we thought i t no hardship to have the stars
for a canopy, and for three months we never slept
under a roof, or with any other covering beyond our
sheepskin cloaks. From this date t he conduct of
Shumahoodeen towards us improved greatly ; he came
to see us frequently, and chatted in a kind manner,
always telling us we should shortly be set at liherty
.
in exchange for Dost Mahomed, who was returning to
Cabul, having been freed by our Government. This
gave us renewed hopes of soon again becoming free
agents ; and, as our circumstances were improved, and
our guards more friendly toward us, our captivity was
more easily borne; but still as time wore on, and no-
thing definite was learnt regarding our release, we
again began t o despair, especially when the middle of
August arrived, and we seemed as far as ever from
t he attainment of our wishes. I t was on the 19th of
August we had, as usual, wrapped ourselves up in our
cloaks, and taken lodgings on the cold ground for the
night, when the chief suddenly entered the yard, and
told us we were to march immediately for Cabul ; and,
sure enough, in half an hour afterwards we found our-
selves slung in pairs in kujasura, on each side of
camels, and moving towards the capital. How de-
lighted we were to bid adieu to the walls of Ghuznee 1
I do believe, if we had known we were going to exe-
cution, t he change would nevertheless have gladdened
us. We reached Cabul in three days, without meeting
any adventure on the road ; but wc were abused most
410 APPENDIX.
grossly by t he populace as we proceeded through t he
~t r eet s of the city : fortunately i t was in t he dusk of
t he evening, and but few people witnessed our arrival;
otherwise they might not have confined their ill treat-
ment to words. We were taken direct t o Mahomed
Akbar's quarters in t he Bala Hissar, and from him
we met with the kindest reception. I could not bring
myself to believe that t he stout, good-humoured,
open-hearted-looking young man, who was making
such kind inquiries after our health, and how we had
borne the fatigues of t he journey, could be t he mur-
derer of MLNaghten, and the leader of the massacre
,
of our troops. He told us we had come most un-
expectedly ; that, though he had written repeatedly to
have us sent t o him (as he had heard we were ill
treated by Shumshoodeen), yet no attention had been
paid to his orders; and now that we had come, i t was
without any intimation of our approach : he bade us be
of good cheer, as our future comfort would be his care,
and we should find ourselves treated like officers and
gentlemen. After many similarly civil speeches, he
ordered dinner, and sent for Troup and Pottinger to
see us. When they arrived, the whole of us, Mahomed
Akbar, his chiefs, and ourselves, all sat down t o the
best meal I had had for many a month. The Wuzeer
(as he always styled himself) chatted and joked away
on indifferent subjects during t he meal, and shortly
after its conclusion dismissed us, saying he would
make us over to the care of Pottinger and Troup for
t he night, aud we might go and have a chat with
them in private, as doubtless we were anxious t o do
so. On the following morning t he a~chpend sent us
an excellent breakfast, and horses to carry us out a
APPENDIX. 41 1
few miles t o the fort where t he other British prisoners
were living, and he desired a list of our wants re-
garding clothes, &c. might be made out, and they
should be furnished. We found our countrymen
living in what appeared to us a small paradise; they
had comfortable quarters, servants, money, and no
little baggage, and a beautiful garden to walk about in.
To our great regret, we had only been four or five days
in this Elysium, when we were sent off to Barneean.
Being thus away from the immediate care of Mahomed
Akbar, we soon found ourselves called on to rough
i t once more. Tents had been sent for the use of the
ladies, but our guards would only pitch them when i t
suited their convenience, and consequently the poor
women and children had frequently to bivouac with
us men, and that, too, in t he nipping night ai r of the
mountains; none of them, however, I am happy to
say, suffered in the least, and they one and all bore
their privations most admirably. I see that Johnson
and one or two others have already given very good
accounts in the public prints of our doings at Ba-
meean, and our return from thence to the blessings of
freedom, so I will not inflict a second edition of the
tale upon you. The public papers will also, long ere
this reaches you, have given you some information
about our doings at Istaliff, and our retrogade march
from Cabul, during which there was a good deal inore
fighting than on the advance."
APPENDIX.
(Fram the Calcutta Englishman.)
Having been favoured with the perusal of a late
letter from Mohun La1 t o a friend in Calcutta, and
been permitted to give t he substance of i t t o the
public, me have decided that it s i l l do best in the
writer's own language, as he expresses himself with
perfect clearness and intelligibility in English, though
not with very idionlatic correctness. Hi s summary
account of the events from the 2d of November 1841
down t o the liberation of the prisoners, cannot be ex-
pected to contain much that is actually new t o our
readers ; but still it is both interesting and historically
valuable. Mohun Lal's brief and unassuming ac-
count of his own exertions, intrepidity, risks, and
sufferings, is very little calculated to do him full
j ~~s t i ce ; but his great merits are well known to, and
will be amply appreciated and rewarded by, the Go-
vernment of I ndi a But now let Mohun La1 speak: -
Since the year of 1838, I have been in regular
correspondence with my. patron, Mr. Trevelyan, in
London, and had repeatedly written t o him, that if me
do not rectify our conduct in the policy of Affghan-
istan, we will excite t he whole country against us.
These communications I believe have always been
shown to the chairman of the Court of Directors, and
i t is great pity tzotwithstanding the late lamented Sir
William MLNaghten and Sir Alexander Burnes were
aware of the impending dangers which threatened the
APPENDIX. 4113
British authoriQ, but they never took steps either to
prepare to meet the evils or to conciliate d e chiefs.
Their pay was redwed, and the manner of our pro-
ceedings had convinced them that they shall be all
banished. I n October last the chiefs entered into
the solemn agreement with each other, arid thus the
Eastern Ghiljies stood up against our arms. General
Sale bravely defeated t he enemy, and forced his
road through the different passes down to Jellal-
abad. While these discontented chiefs were intriguing,
we bore every thing silently till the fatal day of the 2d
of November arrived, and t he houses of Sir Alexander
Burnes and myself were surrounded by the rebels.
They were not acconlpanied with more than fifty men,
but not a battalion was sent to our protection. After
poor Sir Alexander Burnes was murdered and his house
set on fire, I made a hole through the neighbouring
house and was nearly cut to pieces, had I not been
protected by the good-natured Nuwab Mohammed
Zeman Khan, and kept secretly a whole day in his
house. All my property saved during the last twelve
years was plundered, one of my servants murdered,
and the house destroyed. For three days not many
people had assembled under the flag of the rebels, and
t he Persians were not joined the enemy.
" From the house of Nuwab Mohammed Zeman
Khan, I was conducted by our old friend Nayab Mah-
med Sherif Khan t o the house of the Persian chief,
named Khan Shereen Khan, where I lived most clan-
destinely. Agreeably to t he request of t he late Envoy,
I was daily in correspondence with him, and dis-
charged my duties a t t he risk of my life. Nayab
Shereef was employed by t he Envoy and myself i n
T 3
414 APPENDIX.
several negotiations with t he Ghiljies and the Persians.
Every thing bid fair of our success formerly, and not-
withstanding the Ghiljie, Cabulee, Kohistanee, and
the Persian chiefs made solelnn oaths with us, wrote
the agreements on the Hol y Koran to take our cause,
received abundant money from us, but every body
cheated us like a devil. Khan Shereen, the Persian
chief, promised to give every wi st a~i ce, which he
never did. In short, every one of us was deceived.
"Mahomed Akbar Khan opened the negotiation
with t he Envoy, and promised to be useful to us, if we
mere t o appoint him as a minister in Affghanistan ; but
I ~l ways cautioned the Envoy against Akbar, though
I wrote him a t the request of Nayab Shereef on part
of Mahomed Shah Khan, that the latter will persuade
Akbar to attach himself t o t he British Government.
On t he 23d of December, about 6 A.M., wrote to the
Envoy not to meet Akbar so often, as he will catch
and bring hinr into the city ; but thut gentleman, consi-
dering the treacherous &bar as honest as hime&
trusted him in every thing, while he became a victim to
the pistol of that villain.
"Before the depnrture of General Elphinstone's
force from Cabul, I wrote t o Major Pottinger, that if
any of us were t o move from t he cantonment, he will
either be murdered or taken prisoner by Akbar ; and
so i t happened : all the force was destroyed, the ladies
and the officers taken prisoners. I was brought again
by a friend in the ho.use of Khan Sllereen Khan,
where I lived all t he time corresponding with General
Pollock, and was a channel of his communications
with the Prince Futeh J ung and the chiefs, under a
very great personal risk.
APPENDIX. 415
When Mahomed Akbar gained an ascendancy, I
was caught, closely conjned, ill-treafed, bastinadoed,
threatened to be murdered, and forced to raise and
pay him the money. While I was under such suffer-
ing, I neither left writing to Gen. Pollock nor relaxed
in my exertions t o cause t he liberty of t he pri-
soners. Finding tiLat my endeavours to induce the
chiefs i n the city, as well as the ktters of Gen. Pollock
to their address, availed nothing in behalf of the
prisoners, I took the most dangerous step with t he
full belief either to lose my life or gain my object.
To eflect this cause I supplicated, and asked PIahomed
Akbar f i n to allow me to remain i n t h house near
himself, under the pretence that my visiting him occa-
sionally will sicow his kindness to me i n futwre. I t was
agreed, and I was placed under a guard as before, but
not sent out of t he city ; after this I sent for my ac-
quaintance Moortza Shah in t he confinement, on t he
pretence of selling some cloth to me, and told him if
he goes to Bameean and speak to Saleh Mahomed on
my part to restore the prisoners, I shall give t he latter
a reward of 20,000 rupees, and to himself of 5000, and
besides this they will have some pension from Go-
vernment for life. Saleh Mahomed was an officer of
infantry under Mahomed Akbar, and then proceeding
'with our prisoners to Toorkistan. Moortza Shah
reached Bameean, and SalehMahomed happily accepted
my offers. I n t he mean time I stole my escape from
confinement, and induced the Persian chiefs to desert
Mahomed Akbar Khan. I was joined with about
2000 horsemen in t he Afshar Fort ; and as soon as
Maholned Akbar was defeated by General Pollock, I
forced a party of them t o go and meet the prisoners,
T 4
416 APPENDIX.
who, in charge of Saleh Mahomed and my agent
Moortza Shah, were returning from Bameean. Si r R.
Shakespear a l ~ o accompanied this party.
"If I would fear [had feared for] my life, there was
not a single man to send intelligence t o Government
at such a crisis; and it is t he most wonderful thing
that I managed the despatch of letters so regularly
and safely, that none of them was ever intercepted by
the enemy, a hile the roads t o Jel l dabad were watched
on every step. If I were not t o run the personal risk
while myself in conjnement, and not induce Saleh
Mahonled to restore our prisoners, they would never
be released until we were to meet the wishes of Maho-
med Akbar Khan, and would by this time be wan-
dering and suffering on t he deserts of Toorkistan. If
Government take these my humble services into their
just, impartial, and favourable view, I hope I shall be
highly rewarded, because I have saved the British
name, which, if the English ladies and officers were
taken into Toorkistan, would deeply suffer. I have
not only done this, but spent not t he fourth of t he
money which was offered by General Pollock for re-
covering the prisonen, and thus saved the Conlpany's
cash. I am very proud indeed of what I have done."
APPENDIX. 417
-
Sir Richmond Shukespear, Mi l i t ay Secretary, 4c.
DEAR SIR, -Rescued as we have so lately been
from a state of prolonged and cheerless captivity,
which threatened soon to terminate in hopeless slavery,
in a land where t he laws of humanity are unknown or
unacknowledged ; restored by a wonderful interposi-
tion of Providence to country, friends, and all that
renders life desirable; i t would ill become us, in the
midst of our rejoicings, to forget those friends, through
whose agency this happy change in our prospects has
been effected.
To you- we are bound to express our heartfelt
thanks, for the promptitude, with which you led a
body of Kuzzilbash horsemen to our assistance at a
most critical period, t o whose timely arrival amongst
us at Kaloo it nlay be chiefly attributed that our
flight from Bameean was not intercepted.
To thank you adequately in words for so signal a
service would be impossible, but we trust you will
accept of this, as a token of the gratitude me feel,
and, with every good wish for your happiness and
prosperity, we subscribe ourselves,
Yours very faithfully,
Fanny Macnaghten, A. Waller,
Florentia Sale, R. Waller,
Alexandrina Sturt, G. Mein,
Jean Boyd, Emily Eyre,
, F. Boyd, Vincent Eyre,
T 5
418 APPENDIX.
C. Mackenzie,
Eldred Pottinger,
Edward Webb,
B. Melville,
Georgiana Mainwaring,
H. Johnson,
G. St. Y. Lawrence,
C. Harris,
C. Griffiths,
T. Palmer,
J. S. Alston,
T. Thomson,
J. M6Grath,
Camp Cabul, Sept. 24. 1842.
J. Nicholson,
- Airey,
- Souter,
John Shelton,
- Evans,
T. P. Walsh, '
R. Warburton,
H. Drummond,
R. L. Burnett,
H. M. Williams,
A. Crawford,
- Haughton.
. To Lady Macnaghten, Lady Sole, 4c.
General Shelton a n d Major Pottinger.
DEAR LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, - I was this
morning greatly gratified by receiving a very kind
and flattering letter, signed by the ladies and officers,
who were lately prisoners at Ba~neean, and I hasten to
request that you will express t o them my sincere
thanks for the very handsome terms, in which they
have spoken of my poor services.
I shall ever consider it one of t he happiest events of
my life, that I should have had t he good fortune to
have been in any way instrumental in effecting your
escape from Affghanistan.
I remain, dear Ladies and Gentlemen,
Your most obedient servant,
R. C. SHAKESPEAR.
Camp Jellalabad, Oct. 26. 1842.
APPENDIX*
Between 12th October 1841, and 6t h January 1842, the
day of leaving Cabul.
Political.
Sir W. H. Macnaghten, Bart. Murdered at a conference on 23d Dee.
Sir Alexander Burnes Ditto in hi own house in the
city on - 2d Nov.
Capt.Broadfoot,lst Eng. Regt. Ditto in Sir A. B.'s house in
- -
the city on - - 2d "
Lieut.Burnes, Bombay Infty. Ditto in Sir A. B.'s house in
- -
the city on - - 2d "
Lieut. Rattray - Ditto at a conference at
Lughmanee in Kohistan - Sd "
H. M. 44th.
Lieut. Col. BIackrell - - Killed in action at Cahul - 10th Nov.
Capt. Swayne - - Ditto Ditto - 4th "
Capt. M'Crea - Ditto Ditto - 10th "
Capt. Robinson - - Ditto Ditto - 4th "
Lieut. Raban - - Ditto Ditto - 6th "
5th N. I.
Lieut. Col. Oliver - - Ditto Ditto - 23d Nov.
Capt. Mackintosh - - Ditto Ditto - 23d "
35th N. I.
Capt. Westmacott - - Ditto Ditto - 10th Nor.
Ensign Gordon - - Ditto Ditto - 4th "
35th N. I.
Lieut. Jenkins - Ditto at Khoord-Cahul - 12th Oct.
Capt. Wyndham - - Ditto at Jugdulluk - 12th "
H. M. 13th Light Infantry.
Lieut. King .. - Killed at Tezeen - 12th Oct.
h a l Harre.
Capt. Walker, 1st N. I. - Ditto at Cabul - - 23d Nov.
Iliac Ditto - 4 S d k
ilimoatChareeker -456'
- Ditto - Bd '
Dim Ditto - PSd '
Din0 Ditto - esd '
Di tmi nhi s-pat Kah-
&-lab - -sd "
Dha d a conference
- 49d I k
Dkmi nhi s ampat Kab-
dmrrh - - *-
-
---ma >in sp & dr 12th Jarruary 1842
mdrrd.?Ut
.&-X
Lt - 5 - - B Z b d Tereen and
sh- - - 10th ! =
I . 7 X - IIkm u Jugdulluk - 15th ,
. .
u * 1 \ - i k m KbmwLc.bul p p 8th
i r x l r XU-. *. J Z - ~ ~ Z T I - IXmn Ditto - 8th '
3,- &dq-
R. %- - - - I Xn ~ r n mu r h t o T e z e e n l ~ t h J ~
--* L .+ .ii --mu+-
Lrrur F a i ? m - - Dka outside the eanton-
M t - 6th Ja
EX+&&
YaprScwt-
- - D:ho m nnrrh to Taeen 10th
cap^ L+?wa - Ditt~ Ditto - 10th
Lhyr WSLV
- Ditto Junga Fareekee - 10th :
LLon Fureye* - DirtoJugduuuk . 10th
3& A-. L
3Iqjor Swarae - 6-Ued at Junga Fareekee - 10th
CapL ~i - - Ditto Ditto -10th
k u t . Deas*
- Ditto Ditto - loth "
L k t A k x u ~ k
- - Ditto Ditto - loth *
Lieu+ W-
- Ditto Ditto -10th' '
* T h e offiwn had been previously wounded at Cabul.
~ r p &
Paton's let? arm had been amputated
APPENDIX. 42 1
54t h N. I.
major Ewart - Killed on march to Tezcen 10th Jan
Capt. Shaw* - Ditto Ditto
Lieut. Kirby - Ditto
- loth
Ditto - l ot h
37th N. I.
Li eut . St. George - - Ditto Khoord-Cahul pass 8th Jan.
H. M. 44th.
Li eut . Wade - Ditto Jugdulluk - 12th Jan.
Dr. Cardew - Ditto Tezeen - - loth Jan.
Af t er leaving Jugdulluh on the 12th to the$nal massacre.
St af .
Major Thain* H. M. 21st Ft.n.n.c. Jugdulluk Pass
-
- 12th Jan.
Capt. Bellew, 56th N. I. - Futtehahad - 13th "
Capt. Grant, 27th N. I. - Gundamuk - 13th "
Capt. Mackay, Assist. P. M. t - Doubtful.
Hme Artillery.
Capt. Nicholl - Jugdulluk Pass - - 12th Jan.
Liwt. Stewart - Gundamuk - 12th "
5th Light Caval y.
Lieut.-Col. Chambers - - Jugdulluk Pass - - 12th Jan.
Capt. Blair - - Ditto - 12th ".
Capt. Bott - - Ditto - 12th "
Capt. Hamilton - Gundamuk - 13th "
Capt. Collyer - near Jcllalahad - - 14th "
Lieut. Bazett - - Jugdulluk Pass - - 12th "
Dr. Harpur - - near Jellalabad - - 14th "
Veterinary Surgeon Willis - Doubtful.
H. M. 44th.
Capt'Dodgin - - Jugdulluk pass - - 12th Jan.
Capt. Collins - - Gundamuk - 13th "
Lieut. Hogg - - Ditto - - 13th "
Lieut. Cumberland - - Ditto - - 13th "
These officers had been previously wounded at Cabul.
t Cspt. Mackay, Assist. P. M. Shah's Staff, being mentioned in the
text twice (pp.216. 220.), I insert his name thus. I t is not in the original
lit. - EDITOR.
4-92 EN DIX.
Lieut. Cadett -
Lieu+ Swinton
Ensign Gray -
Paymaster Bourke -
Qr.-Master Halahan. -
Surgeon Harcourt -
A&L Surgeon Balfour
Assist. Swgffin Primrose
5th N. I.
Cap+ Haig -
Lieut. Honbrough -
Lieut. Tombs -
Ensign Potenger -
Lieut. Burkinyoung -
Dr. Metcalfe -
37th N. I.
Capt. Rind -
Lieut. Steer -
Li eut Vanrenen -
Lieut. Hawtrey -
Lieut. Carlyon
54th N. I.
Cap+ Anstruther -
Capt. Corrie -
Capt. Palmer -
Lieut. Weaver -
Lieut. Cunningham -
Lieut. Pottinger -
Lieut. Morrison
H. M. 13th Lt. In$
DIajor Kersliaw -
Lieut. Hobhouse -
Shah'. Service.
Brigadier Anquetil -
Capt. Hay, 35th N. I. -
Capt. Hopkins, 27th N. I.
Capt. Marshall, 61st N. I.
Lieut. Le Geyt, Bombay Cav.
Lieut. Green, Artillery
Lieut. Bird, Madras Estab.
Lieut. Macartney -
- Soorkah -
- Gundamuk
- Doubtful.
- Jugdulluk -
- Jugdulluk paso
- Ditto
- Doubtful.
- Gunrlamuk
- Doubtful.
- Gundamuk
- Doubtful.
- Ditto.
- Ditto.
- Gundamuk
- Gundamuk
- Jugdulluk pass
- near Soorliab
- Gundamuk
- Doubtful.
- Doubtful.
- Ditto.
- Ditto.
- Gundamuk
- Ditto -
- Neemla -
- Gundamuk
- Doubtful.
- Gundamuk
- Jugdulluk pass
- Gundamuk
- near Jellalahad
- Jugdulluk pass
Neemla -
- Gundamuk
Futteliabad
- Gundamuk
- 12th Jan
- 13th -
- 13th Jan.
- 13th Jan.
- 12th "
- 12th *
- 13th "
- 13th Jan.
- 13th "
- 13th "
- 1 3 t h '
- 13th Jan.
- 12th J a n
- 13th "
- 13th "
- 12th Jan
- 13th "
- 19th "
- 13th "
- 13th "
This officer had been previously wounded at Cabul.
APPENDIX.
LIST OF OFFICERS SAVED OF THE CABUL FORCE.
In imprisonment in Afghanistan.
Pditical.
Major Pottinger, C.B. - Wounded at Chnrekar on - 6th Nov.
Capt. Lawrence.
Capt. Mackenzie, Madras Estab. Ditto in action at Cabul on 23d "
aaf l
Major-Gen. Elphinstone, C. B. Ditto on retreat at Jugdulluk 19th Jan.
(Died at Tezeen on April
2sd.)
Brigadier Shelton.
Capt. Boyd, At. Cy. GI.
Lieut. Eyre, Arty. D. C. 0. Wounded in action at Cabul 22d Nov.
Horse Artillrry.
Lieut. Waller Ditto Ditto - 4th "
H. M. 44th.
Capt. Souter -
- Ditto on retreat at Gundamuk 13th Jan.
H. M. I Sth.
Lieut. Mein - - Ditto in action under Gen.
Sale at Khoord-Cabul pass Oct.
57th N. I.
Major Griffiths
- Ditto on retreat in Kboord-
Cabul pass - - 8th Jan.
Dr. Magrath.
Shah's Service.
Capt. Troup - - Ditto on retreat in Khoord-
Cabul pass - - 8th "
Capt. Johnson.
Capt. Anderson.
Paymaster.
Capt. Bygrave
- The toes of one foot nipped
off by frost on retreat.
Mr. Ryley,conductorof Ordnance.
424 APPENDIX.
54th N. I.
Lieut. Melville - Wounded on retreat near
Hutt Kotul - - loth Jan.
Shah'r Service.
Dr. Drydon - - Escaped to Jellalabad.
Major-Gen. Shelton, Her Majesty's 44th foot.
Lieut.-Col. Palmer*, 27th Bengal native infantry.
Major Griffiths, 37th Bengal native infantry.
Capt. Troup, Shah's service.
- Anderson, ditto.
- Bygrave, paymaster.
- Boyd, commissariat.
-
Johnson, ditto S. S. F., 26th native infantry.
- Burnett, 54th native inhntry.
-
Souter, Her Majesty's 44th foot.
- Waller, Bengal horae artillery.
- Alston*, 27th native infantry.
- Poett*, ditto.
-
Walsh, 52d Madras native i nht r y.
- Drummond, 3d Bengal light cavalry.
Lieut. Eyre, Bengal artillery.
-
Airey, Her Majeaty's 3d burs.
- Warburton, Bengal artillery, 9. S. F.
- Webb, 38th Madras native infantry, S. S.F.
-
Crawford, Bengal 3d native infantry, S. S.F.
-
Mein, Her Majesty's 13th light infantry.
* Those marked thus were of the Ghuznee garriaon.
APPENDIX. 4125
Lieut. Harris*, 27th Bengal native infantry.
-
Melville, 54th Bengal native infantry.
-
Evans, Her Majesty's 44th foot.
EnsignHaughton, 31st Bengal native infantry.
- Williams, 37th Bengal native infantry.
- Nicholson, ditto.
Conductor Ryley, ordnance commissariat.
Doctor Campbell.
Surgeon Magrath.
Assistant-Surgeon Berwick, left in charge.
- ~homson.
LADIES.
Lady Macnaghten.
- Sale.
Mrs. Trevor, 8 children.
- Anderson, 3 ditto.
- Sturt and 1 child.
- Mainwaring, ditto.
- Boyd, 3 children.
*- Eyre, 1 child.
- Waller, 2 children.
Conductor Ryley's wife, Mrs. Ryley, 3 children.
Private Bourne's (13th light infantry) wife, Mrs. Bourne.
Mrs. Wade, wife of Sergeant Wade.
Major Pottinger, Bombay artillery.
Captain Lawrence, 11th light cavalry.
- Mackenzie, 48th Madras native infantry.
- Blewitt, do.
Sergeant Wedlock. Corporal Bevan.
- Weir. Drummer Higgins.
- Fair. - Lovell.
Corporal Sumpter. - Branagan.
P r i e Tongue.
- Wi n .
- Dorant.
- Arch.
- Stott.
- Moore
- Miller.
- Murphy.
- Marshall.
- Cox.
- Robinson.
- Brady.
- Bl'Gl~m.
I Boys Crier.
I
I - Milwood.
m n MAJESTY'S 13ra LIGHT ISPASTRY.
Private Binditgo. Private Maccullar
- Murray. I _ M'Connell.
- Mav-
' -
j
Cuff.
- Monks.
Sergeaot N'h'ee. Gunner Dalton.
- Cleland. Sergeant Wade, &"age-ser-
Gunner A. Hearn.
/ geant to the h b u l mis-
- Keane. , sion.
THE END.